Observations on the tunnel effect

Abstract

In §§ 7, 9, 17 and 23 it has been stated that the adhesion and passivating films on metals are sufficiently thin to be penetrable for the current by means of the tunnel effect. This assertion is based on observations that will be described in this chapter. The first pertinent measurements were carried out by Holm and Meissner ² in 1931 and 1932, at a time when very little was known about the films in question. The problem that Holm and Meissner were pursuing, was whether clean metallic contacts exhibited any transition resistance caused by the mere existence of a contact between two members. They were also concerned with the question whether a superconducting contact can exist. Both problems required the employment of very low temperatures.