Field-dependent hopping conduction

We have numerically calculated transport characteristics on a Miller-Abraham network in a non-linear regime by solving the Kirchhoff's current law at each site. Assuming the Mott model, we obtained the relation between current density and electric field, J∝exp(γE), which has often been observed in low-mobility materials and whose mechanism has been a source of controversy for over half a century. Our numerical calculation makes it possible to analyze the energy configuration of relevant hopping sites and visualize percolation networks. Following the percolation theory proposed by Shklovskii [Shklovskii, Sov. Phys. Semicond. 10, 855 (1976)], we show that the main mechanism of the field dependence is the replacement of dominating resistances accompanied by the geometrical evolution of the percolation networks. Our calculation is so general that it can be applied to hopping transport in a variety of systems.