Single-Electron Transistors*

Nanoscale devices that manipulate single electrons present an exciting platform for the observation of electronic and mechanical effects. By utilizing the locally tunable metal-insulator transition at the interface of LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃, we create single-electron transistors using conducting atomic force microscope (c-AFM) lithography. The piezoelectric nature of LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ gives way to an expected coupling between mechanical motion and electric charge within the device. We test this effect by applying pressure to the device using an insulating AFM tip while measuring changes in electron density. I describe our efforts to perform nanomechanical imaging of conductive structures on LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃. I describe our method of performing imaging in a cryogenic AFM system, as many interesting properties of single-electron devices are observed at low temperatures.