Related papers: Probing Metal-Molecule Contact at the Atomic Scale…
The formation and rupture of atomic-sized contacts is modelled by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Such nano-contacts are realized in scanning tunnelling microscope and mechanically controlled break junction experiments. These…
Molecular-scale components are expected to be central to nanoscale electronic devices. While molecular-scale switching has been reported in atomic quantum point contacts, single-molecule junctions provide the additional flexibility of…
The transition from tunneling to metallic contact between two surfaces does not always involve a jump, but can be smooth. We have observed that the configuration and material composition of the electrodes before contact largely determines…
Inspired by recent measurements of forces and conductances of bipyridine nano-junctions, we have performed density functional theory calculations of structure and electron transport in a bipyridine molecule attached between gold electrodes…
We study the interaction between single apex atoms in a metallic contact, using the break junction geometry. By carefully 'training' our samples, we create stable junctions in which no further atomic reorganization takes place. This allows…
We have studied experimentally the phenomena of jump-to-contact (JC) and jump-out-of-contact (JOC) in gold electrodes. JC can be observed at the first contact when the two metals approach each other while JOC occurs in the last contact…
We investigate gold-4,4'-bipyridine-gold single-molecule junctions with the mechanically controllable break junction technique at cryogenic temperature ($T=4.2\,\text{K}$). We observe bistable probabilistic conductance switching between the…
The interplay between groups of water molecules and single-atom contacts, as reflected in the electrical conductances and mechanical forces of copper atomic junctions, is explored by means of first-principles theory and semi-empirical…
We present an original method to estimate the conductivity of a single molecule anchored to nanometric-sized metallic electrodes, using a Mechanically Controlled Break Junction (MCBJ) operated at room temperature in liquid. We record the…
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…
The continuing miniaturization of microelectronics raises the prospect of nanometre-scale devices with mechanical and electrical properties that are qualitatively different from those at larger dimensions. The investigation of these…
The simplicity of single-molecule junctions based on direct bonding of a small molecule between two metallic electrodes make them an ideal system for the study of fundamental questions related to molecular electronics. Here we study the…
To develop next-generation electronics and high efficiency energy-harvesting devices, it is crucial to understand how charge and heat are transported at the nanoscale. Metallic atomic-size contacts are ideal systems to probe the quantum…
We report on inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy measurements carried out on single molecules incorporated into a mechanically controllable break-junction of Au and Pt electrodes at low temperature. Here we establish a correlation…
This mini review focuses on conductance measurements through molecular junctions containing few tens of molecules, which are fabricated along two approaches: (i) conducting atomic force microscope contacting a self-assembled monolayers on…
Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory combined with the non-equilibrium Green's function approach, the transport behaviors of a single-molecule junction formed by benzenedithiol connected to gold electrodes…
We analyze the formation and evolution statistics of single molecule junctions bonded to gold electrodes using amine, methyl sulfide and dimethyl phosphine link groups by measuring conductance as a function of junction elongation. For each…
Using a break junction technique, we find a clear signature for the formation of conducting hybrid junctions composed of a single organic molecule (benzene, naphthalene or anthracene) connected to chains of platinum atoms. The hybrid…
We study pentanedithiol molecular junctions formed by means of the break-junction technique with a scanning tunneling microscope at low temperatures. Using inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, the…
The conductance of a single metal-molecule-metal junction depends critically on the conformations of the molecule. In the simple case of a biphenyl, two phenyl rings linked together by a single C-C bond, the conductance is expected to…