Resistance fluctuations in ultrathin Al films with a nano-hole array

Abstract: Ultrathin Al films with an array of nano-sized holes are fabricated by quench-condensing Al near 20K on the surface of alumina membranes with a honeycomb pore structure. We describe this system as an experimental realization of a tunable washboard potential for studying the dynamics of vortices in the zero-temperature limit. We have observed large resistance fluctuations when a dc bias current is applied near the spin-paramagnetic limit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]