Characteristics of metal point contacts (PC) in the range between acoustic and optical frequencies

The response of clean copper–copper point contacts to electromagnetic radiation is studied in the frequency interval 103–4.75 · 1014. Using the theory of point-contact spectroscopy, we have calculated the signal response developed in the contact when a bias voltage is applied to it. It is shown that, at frequencies up to ∼ 4.3 · 1012 Hz, the response is due to the rectification of the rf current at the nonlinear singularities of the current-voltage characteristic of the contact. At frequencies higher than ∼ 2.8 · 1013 Hz, the response mechanism is associated with the heating of the contact and contact region of the bulk electrodes by the incident radiation.

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