Normal Metallic Point Contacts

Abstract

The measured voltage derivative of the nonlinear resistance of tiny point contacts can be separated into a phonon-emission effect (α²F) and an analytic functional form (background effect). The α²F's show structure coincident with bulk phonon densities of states. Values of the integral of 2 α²F/ω are closely related to literature values. The background effect is related to the impurity concentration of the materials.