1. Single atom point contact when the wires bounce out of contact.
This arrow indicates the trigger level
The y-axis shows the output of the current preamp.
The current preamp outputs 100 mV for every 1 mA of current in the circuit
There is a 10 mV voltage driving the current through the gold wires
The oscilloscope reads “zero” when the trace falls on this horizontal dashed line
This loose connection spends about 100 microseconds as a single atom point contact when the wires bounce out of contact.
Single atom point contact when the wires bounce out of contact.
Quantum of Conductance, G = h/2e2

2. A 10 mV The ammeter sends a signal to the oscilloscope
Crossed wires have some resistance, depending on cross-sectional area, etc.
Oscilloscopes are needed to monitor signals that change quickly as a function of time