Figure 3. Electrical heating of a Au nano-junction at T0 = 150 K.
(a) A measurement circuit utilized for characterization of Joule heat generated in a Au nano-junction. Bias voltage VAu was applied to the Au nano-constriction and the resistance of the junction RAu as well as that of the thermometer Rt was measured simultaneously. (b) The junction resistance RAu increases with VAu by Joule heating. (c) At the same time, the thermometer resistance Rt also increases. The irregular behaviour of Rt is presumably due to annealing effects on the Au contact microstructure. (d) The local temperature change at the thermometer ΔTt scales linearly with the power PAu consumed by the junction.