Light-controlled conductance switching of ordered metal-molecule-metal devices.
We demonstrate reversible, light-controlled conductance switching of molecular devices based on photochromic diarylethene molecules. These devices consist of ordered, two-dimensional lattices of gold nanoparticles, in which neighboring particles are bridged by switchable molecules. We independently confirm that reversible isomerization of the diarylethenes employed is at the heart of the room-temperature conductance switching. For this, we take full advantage of the possibility to use optical spectroscopy to follow molecular switching in these samples.
van der Molen
Sense Jan
SJ
Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, 4056 Basel, Switzerland. molen@physics.leidenuniv.nl
Liao
Jianhui
J
Kudernac
Tibor
T
Agustsson
Jon S
JS
Bernard
Laetitia
L
Calame
Michel
M
van Wees
Bart J
BJ
Feringa
Ben L
BL
Schönenberger
Christian
C
D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D010316:Particle Size; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013499:Surface Properties
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D006046:Gold