Complexity of Electron Transport in Nanoscale Molecular Junctions

In this dissertation, we analyse the charge transport of nanoscale molecular junctions in mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) experiments. In particular, we focus on the characterization of molecular features going beyond the "single-peak" picture, that is, considering features in the measurements in addition to themost prominent one...

Building Blocks for Wavelength Converters: A Study of Monolithic Devices in Piezoelectric Materials

In cavity optomechanics, optical fields are coupled to the displacement of mechanical resonators. While it is interesting to study fundamental aspects of this interaction, it is the ability to link this mechanical displacement to various other degrees of freedom that inspires many applications in the field. In these applications, the mechanical...

The dynamics of microtubule stability: A reconstitution of regulated microtubule assembly under force

The microtubule cytoskeleton is an intracellular polymer network involved in cell shape, cell motility, and cell division. Microtubules are self-assembling, dynamic polymers composed of tubulin proteins that alternate between phases of growth and shrinkage, a behaviour known as “dynamic instability”. A key feature of microtubules is their...

On Conductance and Interface Effects in Molecular Devices

In this dissertation we discuss ab initio studies of quantum transport through single-molecule devices, using a combination of techniques from quantum chemistry and many-body physics. The molecular transport calculations discussed here are based on the "DFT+NEGF" approach to molecular transport. We first outline the density functional theory ...

Electrical and mechanical effects in single-molecule junctions

In single-molecule junctions, the behavior of a device is determined by the properties of an individual molecule. In this thesis we develop several models to describe both electrical and mechanical effects in such devices, which can be used to design molecules with a specific functionality. We show how the resistance of a molecule varies with...

Quantum Dots in Vertical Nanowire Devices

The research described in this thesis is aimed at constructing a quantum interface between a single electron spin and a photon, using a nanowire quantum dot. Such a quantum interface enables information transfer from a local electron spin to the polarization of a photon for long distance readout. Important aspects for the realization of such a...