title: Probing electron-phonon excitations in molecular junctions by quantum interference.
abstract: Electron-phonon coupling is a fundamental inelastic interaction in condensed matter and in molecules. Here we probe phonon excitations using quantum interference in electron transport occurring in short chains of anthraquinone based molecular junctions. By studying the dependence of molecular junction's conductance as a function of bias voltage and temperature, we show that inelastic scattering of electrons by phonons can be detected as features in conductance resulting from quenching of quantum interference. Our results are in agreement with density functional theory calculations and are well described by a generic two-site model in the framework of non-equilibrium Green's functions formalism. The importance of the observed inelastic contribution to the current opens up new ways for exploring coherent electron transport through molecular devices.
authors: Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, MPQ, UMR 7162, CNRS, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Bessis
authors: Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, MPQ, UMR 7162, CNRS, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France.
authors: M L
authors: ML
authors: Della Rocca
authors: Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, MPQ, UMR 7162, CNRS, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Barraud
authors: Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, ITODYS, UMR 7086, CNRS, 15 rue J.-A. de Baïf, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Martin
authors: Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, ITODYS, UMR 7086, CNRS, 15 rue J.-A. de Baïf, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France.
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Lacroix
authors: QuantumWise A/S, Fruebjergvej 3, Box 4, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Markussen
authors: Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, MPQ, UMR 7162, CNRS, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Lafarge