Inelastic electron transport in polymer nanofibers

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Conducting polymers exhibit metal-like states crucial for electronic applications.
• Electron transport in these materials is complex, influenced by morphology and temperature.
• Understanding intergrain conduction mechanisms is key to optimizing polymer-based devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically analyze electron transport in metal-like conducting polymers.
• To investigate the specific effects of temperature on intergrain electron tunneling.
• To provide a model for distinguishing tunneling contributions in experimental transport data.

Main Methods:

• Modeling conducting polymers as a network of metallic grains in a poorly conducting environment.
• Applying quantum tunneling theory for intergrain conduction via intermediate states.
• Utilizing the Buttiker model and scattering matrix formalism to compute electron transmission.
• Incorporating a phonon bath to represent the thermal environment and its effect on dephasing.

Main Results:

• Developed a theoretical framework for electron transport in conducting polymers.
• Quantified the influence of temperature on intergrain electron tunneling.
• Demonstrated that temperature dependencies of current and conductance differ from other conduction mechanisms.
• Expressed the dephasing parameter in terms of thermal energy and relevant energies.

Conclusions:

• The proposed model accurately describes temperature-dependent electron transport via intergrain tunneling.
• Findings can help differentiate tunneling contributions in polymer nanofibers and molecular junctions.
• This work offers insights into charge transport mechanisms in disordered electronic materials.