Field-emission resonance measurements with mechanically controlled break junctions

The additional information provided by field emission resonance spectra sig nificantly increases the potential of the mechanically controllable break j unction technique. We have found that the pronounced three-dimensional natu re of the electrodes results in an extremely high sensitivity of the field emission resonance spectra to the fine details of the surface geometry, ele ctronic structure and electric field distribution at small electrode separa tions. At larger distances a quasiclassical approximation can be used for t he determination of the metal work function, precise calibration of the ele ctrode relative displacement and discrimination between "blunt" and "sharp" electrodes on the basis of the distance-voltage z(V) dependence. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.