Current-voltage-temperature characteristics for 2D arrays of metallic quantum dots

Computational results for the temperature-dependent conductivity of compressed arrays of size-selected Ag nanodots are discussed. Special attention is given to the role of phase transitions of the array as a function of external control variables: the applied voltage, the temperature, and the compression of the array. The computations are based on a scattering formalism that is presented in detail so that all the assumptions are explicitly spelled out. The results demonstrate the ability of low-lying excited electronic states of 2D lattices to probe by temperature-dependent conductivity measurements.