Article abstract


Nature Materials 4, 167 - 172 (2005)
Published online: 16 January 2005 | doi:10.1038/nmat1309

Subject Categories: Molecular electronics | Nanoscale materials

Molecularly inherent voltage-controlled conductance switching

Amy Szuchmacher Blum1, James G. Kushmerick1, David P. Long1, Charles H. Patterson2, John C. Yang3, Jay C. Henderson4, Yuxing Yao4, James M. Tour4, Ranganathan Shashidhar5 & Banahalli R. Ratna1


Molecular electronics has been proposed as a pathway for high-density nanoelectronic devices. This pathway involves the development of a molecular memory device based on reversible switching of a molecule between two conducting states in response to a trigger, such as an applied voltage. Here we demonstrate that voltage-triggered switching is indeed a molecular phenomenon by carrying out studies on the same molecule using three different experimental configurations—scanning tunnelling microscopy, crossed-wire junction, and magnetic-bead junction. We also demonstrate that voltage-triggered switching is distinctly different from stochastic switching, essentially a transient (time-dependent) phenomenon that is independent of the applied voltage.

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  1. Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia 20375, USA
  2. Current address: Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. 7102 Riverwood Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21046, USA
  3. Current address: Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
  4. Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
  5. Current address: Geo-Centers, Inc. 4301 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 200, Room 248, Arlington, Virginia 22203, USA

Correspondence to: Amy Szuchmacher Blum1 e-mail: amyblum@cbmse.nrl.navy.mil



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