Electron-Hole Transport in Capacitively Coupled 1D Arrays of Small Tunnel Junctions

Abstract

We have measured the current-voltage characteristics of two capacitively coupled 1D arrays of small tunnel junctions, where the coupling capacitance is significantly larger than the junction capacitance. We voltage biased only one of the arrays, while the current was measured simultaneously in both arrays. We find that, at low bias voltages, the currents in the two arrays are comparable in magnitude but opposite in direction. The currents are carried by tunneling electron-hole pairs that are bound by the charging energy of the coupling capacitance.