Negative capacitance in Wigner crystal forming polymer nanowires

Abstract

Negative capacitance has been observed in conducting polymer nanowires. These nanowires exhibit features of one-dimensional Wigner crystals, such as switching transition that reduces resistance by several orders of magnitude, negative differential resistance, and enhancement of noise in the switched state. Negative capacitance is theoretically predicted characteristic feature of a Wigner crystal. The magnitude of negative capacitance increases with increasing bias voltage below the switching transition. Above switching transition the magnitude decreases with increasing current bias. The capacitance goes from negative to positive value as the features of Wigner crystal state disappear with increasing temperature.