In this study we investigate electrical conduction in finite rectangular random resistor networks in quasione and two dimensions far away from the percolation threshold p(c) by the use of a bond percolation model. Various topologies such as parallel linear chains in one dimension, as well as square and triangular lattices in two dimensions, are compared as a function of the geometrical aspect ratio. In particular we propose a linear approximation for conduction in two-dimensional systems far from p(c), which is useful for engineering purposes. We find that the same scaling function, which can be used for finite-size scaling of percolation thresholds, also applies to describe conduction away from p(c). This is in contrast to the quasi-one-dimensional case, which is highly nonlinear. The qualitative analysis of the range within which the linear approximation is legitimate is given. A brief link to real applications is made by taking into account a statistical distribution of the resistors in the network. Our results are of potential interest in fields such as nanostructured or composite materials and sensing applications.
Andreas Mortensen, William Craig Carter