title: Conformational molecular switch of the azobenzene molecule: a scanning tunneling microscopy study.
abstract: We propose to utilize azobenzene as a nanomolecular switch which can be triggered by transmitting electrons above threshold biases. The effect is explained by an electron impact trans-cis conformational change of the isolated azobenzene molecules. The molecular electronic states of both isomers have been measured with spatially resolved scanning tunneling microscopy or spectroscopy, leading to suggested transition pathways of the electron-induced isomerization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Center for Science in Nanometer Scale, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea.
authors.forename: Byoung-Young
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Se-Jong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kahng
authors.forename: Seungchul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hajin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyo Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jisoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ihm
authors.forename: Young
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuk