Excess dissipation in a single-electron box: the Sisyphus resistance

Nano Lett. 2010 Mar 10;10(3):953-7. doi: 10.1021/nl903887x.

Abstract

We present measurements of the ac response of a single-electron box (SEB). We apply a radio frequency signal with a frequency larger than the tunneling rate and drive the system out of equilibrium. We observe much more dissipation in the SEB then one would expect from a simple circuit model. We can explain this in terms of a mechanism that we call the Sisyphus resistance. The Sisyphus resistance has a strong gate dependence which can be used for electrometery applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Conductometry / instrumentation*
  • Electric Impedance
  • Electron Transport
  • Energy Transfer
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Scattering, Radiation