Optical probe of quantum shot-noise reduction at a single-atom contact.
Visible and infrared light emitted at a Ag-Ag(111) junction has been investigated from tunneling to single-atom contact conditions with a scanning tunneling microscope. The light intensity varies in a highly nonlinear fashion with the conductance of the junction and exhibits a minimum at conductances close to the conductance quantum. The data are interpreted in terms of current noise at optical frequencies, which is characteristic of partially open transport channels.
Schneider
Natalia L
NL
Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, D-24098 Kiel, Germany.
Schull
Guillaume
G
Berndt
Richard
R