title: Electron Transmission through Aromatic Molecules.
abstract: A prominent feature of aromatic compounds is the ring current that can be observed indirectly in nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. This current is generated by an external magnetic field. In molecular electronics, molecules serve as conductors, and they are connected to metallic contacts that act as electron sources and electron sinks. We show that ring currents can also be found in molecular electronic devices containing cyclic π-electron systems. The circular currents are related to interference phenomena that can render the molecule impenetrable to electrons. While only small currents pass through the molecule, large internal circular currents are stimulated. We conjecture that the internal currents should result in experimentally observable magnetic moments.
authors.affiliation: Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succursale A, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ernzerhof
authors.affiliation: Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succursale A, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Hilke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bahmann
authors.affiliation: Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succursale A, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goyer
authors.affiliation: Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succursale A, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succursale A, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rocheleau