Dresden 2006 – scientific programme
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TT: Tiefe Temperaturen
TT 14: Symposium Molecular Electronics
TT 14.5: Fachvortrag
Tuesday, March 28, 2006, 11:45–12:15, HSZ 02
Electron Transport through Single Molecules — •Heiko B. Weber1, Daniel Secker1, Rolf Ochs2, Mark Elbing2, Ferdinand Evers2, Max Köntopp2, and Marcel Mayor2,3 — 1Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik, D-91058 Erlangen — 2Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Nanotechnologie, D-76021 Karlsruhe — 3Universität Basel, Dep. of Chemistry, St. Johanns-Ring 19, CH-4056 Basel
We will report on experiments with single molecule junctions, performed with the mechanically controlled break-junction technique. A review is given on the capabilities of the technique and the results obtained so far. The importance of the molecular structure, the local environment, the contacts, and the electronic polarizability will be elucidated.
As a particular example, we will present a redesigned Aviram-Ratner experiment [1] with a molecule that was designed to form a single-molecule diode when contacted from two sides. Indeed, the IVs show a pronounced asymmetry, whereas a blind experiment with symmetric molecules resulted in symmetric IVs. A closer analysis of the data, involving theoretical models, suggests that the bias-dependent charge reconfiguration of the electronic structure is responsible for the diode-like characteristics.
[1] M. Elbing, R. Ochs, M. Köntopp, M. Fischer, C. von Hänisch, F. Weigend, F. Evers, H. B. Weber, M. Mayor: A single-molecular diode. In: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (2005), Nr. 102, S. 8815 - 8820.