title: Supramolecular Rotor and Translator at Work: On-Surface Movement of Single Atoms.
abstract: A supramolecular nanostructure composed of four 4-acetylbiphenyl molecules and self-assembled on Au (111) was loaded with single Au adatoms and studied by scanning tunneling microscopy at low temperature. By applying voltage pulses to the supramolecular structure, the loaded Au atoms can be rotated and translated in a controlled manner. The manipulation of the gold adatoms is driven neither by mechanical interaction nor by direct electronic excitation. At the electronic resonance and driven by the tunneling current intensity, the supramolecular nanostructure performs a small amount of work of about 8 × 10(-21) J, while transporting the single Au atom from one adsorption site to the next. Using the measured average excitation time necessary to induce the movement, we determine the mechanical motive power of the device, yielding about 3 × 10(-21) W.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ohmann
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.affiliation: GNS & MANA Satellite, CEMES, CNRS , 29 Rue J. Marvig, 31055 Toulouse Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Echeverria
authors.affiliation: GNS & MANA Satellite, CEMES, CNRS , 29 Rue J. Marvig, 31055 Toulouse Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Maricarmen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grisolia
authors.affiliation: GNS & MANA Satellite, CEMES, CNRS , 29 Rue J. Marvig, 31055 Toulouse Cedex, France.|International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joachim
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moresco
authors.forename: Gianaurelio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cuniberti
keywords: scanning tunneling microscopy; single-atom movement; supramolecular structures; voltage pulses