title: Light-controlled conductance switching of ordered metal-molecule-metal devices.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, 4056 Basel, Switzerland. molen@physics.leidenuniv.nl
authors.forename: Sense Jan
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: van der Molen
authors.forename: Jianhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudernac
authors.forename: Jon S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Agustsson
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calame
authors.forename: Bart J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: van Wees
authors.forename: Ben L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Feringa
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schönenberger
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D006046:Gold