title: Multiple cotunneling in large quantum dot arrays.
abstract: We investigate the effects of inelastic cotunneling on the electronic transport properties of gold nanoparticle multilayers and thick films at low applied bias, inside the Coulomb-blockade regime. We find that the zero-bias conductance, g(0)(T), in all systems exhibits Efros-Shklovskii-type variable range hopping transport. The resulting typical hopping distance, corresponding to the number of tunnel junctions participating in cotunneling events, is shown to be directly related to the power-law exponent in the measured current-voltage characteristics. We discuss the implications of these findings in light of models on cotunneling and hopping transport in mesoscopic, granular conductors.
authors.affiliation: James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Beloborodov
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Bigioni
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Vinokur
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Jaeger