Simple molecules as benchmark systems for molecular electronics

Djukić, D. (2006)

Doctoral Thesis

In society there is a constant urge to improve existing devices and the level of success is perhaps the easiest to observe in the world of electronic devices. The complexity, functionality and reliability of these machines has increased enormously, but it approaches its limits. A new giant step which will provide the space for further development is the concept of molecular electronics where organic molecules and their natural characteristics are used as the functional units. The research presented in this thesis is a small part of the large effort which the scientific community puts nowadays into this goal. The system under the investigation is molecular bridge where the molecule is hydrogen or CO or acetylene or benzene. We characterise junctions by point contact spectroscopy and can address different modes of oscillation by following stretching dependence of vibration energy.

• Break junctions
• Conductance channels
• Conductance quanta
• Molecular bridge
• Shot noise
• Vibration frequency

• All authors: Djukić, D.
• Supervisor: Ruitenbeek, J.M. van
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Faculty of Science, Leiden University
• Date: 2006-10-25