Switching in Nanoscale Molecular Junctions due to Contact Reconfiguration

Switching effects are key elements in the design and characterization of nanoscale molecular electronics systems. They are used to achieve functionality through the transition between different conducting states. In this study, we analyze the presence of switching events in reference molecular systems, which are not designed to have switching...

Single-molecule functionality in electronic components based on orbital resonances

In recent years, a wide range of single-molecule devices has been realized, enabled by technological advances combined with the versatility offered by synthetic chemistry. In particular, single-molecule diodes have attracted significant attention with an ongoing effort to increase the rectification ratio between the forward and reverse...

Insulator-protected mechanically controlled break junctions for measuring single-molecule conductance in aqueous environments

We present a method to fabricate insulated gold mechanically controlled break junctions (MCBJ) by coating the metal with a thin layer of aluminum oxide using plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition. The Al₂O₃ thickness deposited on the MCBJ devices was varied from 2 to 15 nm to test the suppression of leakage currents in...

A gate-tunable single-molecule diode

In the pursuit of down-sizing electronic components, the ultimate limit is the use of single molecules as functional devices. The first theoretical proposal of such a device, predicted more than four decades ago, is the seminal Aviram–Ratner rectifier that exploits the orbital structure of the molecule. The experimental realization of single...