title: Biased surface fluctuations due to current stress.
abstract: Direct correlation between temporal structural fluctuations and electron wind force is demonstrated, for the first time, by STM imaging and analysis of atomically resolved motion on a thin film surface under large applied current (10(5) A/cm2). The magnitude of the momentum transfer between current carriers and the geometrically constrained atoms in the fluctuating structure is at least 5x to 15x (+/-1sigma range) larger than for freely diffusing adatoms. Corresponding changes in surface resistivity will contribute significant fluctuation signature to nanoscale electronic properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742-4111, USA.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bondarchuk
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Degawa
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bole
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Rous