title: Bistability in scanning tunneling spectroscopy of Ga-terminated Si(111)
abstract: Bistable electron transport, a phenomenon usually associated with double-barrier structures, has been observed with a conventional STM junction formed between a metal tip and a Ga-terminated Si(111) surface at 77 K. Large hysteresis loops appear in the current-voltage characteristics when electrons are injected from the tip to the surface. The turn-on bias varies from -3.1 to -4.0 V and shows an inverse dependence on the tip-sample distance, indicating a strong field effect. The turn-off bias, however, is essentially pinned at a conductance threshold of -2.7 V.
authors.affiliation: The Rowland Institute for Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Altfeder
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Chen