Negative Differential Resistance on Electron Transport through Ultrasmall Particles

Abstract

We present a theoretical study on a new one-dimensional array of normal tunnel junctions which produces a negative differential resistance. The junctions are composed of ultrasmall particles, and one of them goes in the direction opposite that of the external electric field. We show dc current-voltage characteristics for this system in terms of a basic single-electron tunneling model. In this system, negative resistance arises due to single-electron tunneling behavior.