Electron transport through a metal-molecule-metal junction

Christophe Kergueris (1) , Jean-Philippe Bourgoin (1) , Serge Palacin (1) , Daniel Estève (2) , Cristian Urbina (2) , M. Magoga (3) , Christian Joachim (3)

1 SCM - Service de Chimie Moléculaire
2 SPEC - UMR3680 - Service de physique de l'état condensé
3 CEMES - Centre d'élaboration de matériaux et d'études structurales

Molecules of bisthiolterthiophene have been adsorbed on the two facing gold electrodes of a mechanically controllable break junction in order to form metal-molecule(s)-metal junctions. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics have been recorded at room temperature. Zero bias conductances were measured in the 10-100 nS range and different kinds of non-linear I-V curves with step-like features were reproducibly obtained. Switching between different kinds of I-V curves could be induced by varying the distance between the two metallic electrodes. The experimental results are discussed within the framework of tunneling transport models explicitly taking into account the discrete nature of the electronic spectrum of the molecule.

Domaines: Matériaux

Christophe Kergueris, Jean-Philippe Bourgoin, Serge Palacin, Daniel Estève, Cristian Urbina, et al.. Electron transport through a metal-molecule-metal junction. Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1998-2015), 1999, 59, pp.12505. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevB.59.12505⟩. ⟨cea-01057034⟩