Unprecedented efficient electron transport across Au nanoparticles with up to 25-nm insulating SiO₂-shells

Quantum tunneling is the basis of molecular electronics, but often its electron transport range is too short to overcome technical defects caused by downscaling of electronic devices, which limits the development of molecular-/nano-electronics. Marrying electronics with plasmonics may well present a revolutionary way to meet this challenge as it can manipulate electron flow with plasmonics at the nanoscale. Here we report on unusually efficient temperature-independent electron transport, with some photoconductivity, across a new type of junction with active plasmonics. The junction is made by assembly of SiO₂ shell-insulated Au nanoparticles (Au@SiO₂ NPs) into dense nanomembranes of a few Au@SiO₂ layers thick and transport is measured across these membranes. We propose that the mechanism is plasmon-enabled transport, possibly tunneling (as it is temperature-independent). Unprecedentedly ultra-long-range transport across one, up to even three layers of Au@SiO₂ in the junction, with a cumulative insulating (silica) gap up to 29 nm/NP layer was achieved, well beyond the measurable limit for normal quantum mechanical tunneling across insulators (~2.5 nm at 0.5–1 V). This finding opens up a new interdisciplinary field of exploration in nanoelectronics with wide potential impact on such areas as electronic information transfer.