Hot electrons in nanocontacts

A theoretical study is made of the temperature of the electron subsystem in a microcontact as a function of the applied voltage. It is shown that in m icrocontacts whose characteristic linear dimension is of the order of sever al lattice constants (nanocontacts) a breakdown of thermodynamic equilibriu m between the electrons and phonons occurs at high applied voltages. Then t he temperature of the electron subsystem is a linear function of the applie d voltage, and its absolute magnitude can reach values of the order of the Fermi energy. These results agree with recent experimental data. (C) 2000 A merican Institute of Physics. [S1063-777X(00)01106-3].