Rectification, gating voltage, and interchannel communication of nanoslot arrays due to asymmetric entrance space charge polarization.

A nanoslot array with a uniform surface charge and height but with asymmetric slot entrances is shown to exhibit strong rectification, gating type current-voltage characteristics and a total current higher than the sum of isolated slots at a large voltage. Unlike previous reports of low-voltage current rectification within nanopores and nanochannels with a nonuniform surface charge and/or height, the asymmetry is due to asymmetric space-charge polarization and interslot communication at only one of the two different entrances.