conductive atomic force microscopy; molecular junctions; negative differential conductance; self-assembled monolayers; terahertz switch; Functional devices; Low frequency domain; Molecular device; Molecular junction; Structure and configuration; Terahertz detectors; Terahertz switches; THz waves; Bioengineering; Chemistry (all); Materials Science (all); Condensed Matter Physics; Mechanical Engineering; physics.app-ph; Physics - Mesoscopic Systems and Quantum Hall Effect
Abstract :
[en] Molecular electronics targets tiny devices exploiting the electronic properties of the molecular orbitals, which can be tailored and controlled by the chemical structure and configuration of the molecules. Many functional devices have been experimentally demonstrated; however, these devices were operated in the low-frequency domain (mainly dc to MHz). This represents a serious limitation for electronic applications, although molecular devices working in the THz regime have been theoretically predicted. Here, we experimentally demonstrate molecular THz switches at room temperature. The devices consist of self-assembled monolayers of molecules bearing two conjugated moieties coupled through a nonconjugated linker. These devices exhibit clear negative differential conductance behaviors (peaks in the current-voltage curves), as confirmed by ab initio simulations, which were reversibly suppressed under illumination with a 30 THz wave. We analyze how the THz switching behavior depends on the THz wave properties (power and frequency), and we benchmark that these molecular devices would outperform actual THz detectors.
Disciplines :
Chemistry Physics
Author, co-author :
Hnid, Imen; Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, University of Lille, Av. Poincaré, F-59652 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
Yassin, Ali ; MOLTECH-Anjou, CNRS, University of Angers, SFR MATRIX, F-49000 Angers, France ; Natural Sciences Department, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, 1102-2801, Beirut, Lebanon
Arbouch, Imane ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté des Sciences > Service de Chimie des matériaux nouveaux
Guérin, David; Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, University of Lille, Av. Poincaré, F-59652 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
Van dyck, Colin ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté des Sciences > Service Chimie Physique Théorique
Sanguinet, Lionel ; MOLTECH-Anjou, CNRS, University of Angers, SFR MATRIX, F-49000 Angers, France
Lenfant, Stéphane ; Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, University of Lille, Av. Poincaré, F-59652 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
Cornil, Jérôme ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté des Sciences > Service de Chimie des matériaux nouveaux
Blanchard, Philippe ; MOLTECH-Anjou, CNRS, University of Angers, SFR MATRIX, F-49000 Angers, France
Vuillaume, Dominique ; Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, University of Lille, Av. Poincaré, F-59652 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
Language :
English
Title :
Molecular Junctions for Terahertz Switches and Detectors.
We acknowledge support from the ANR (projet #ANR-20-CE30-0002). We thank X. Wallart (IEMN) for the XPS and UPS measurements and J. F. Lampin (IEMN) for the loan of the THz lasers and help for their use. The work in Mons has been funded by the Fund for Scientific Research (FRS) of FNRS within the Consortium des Equipements de Calcul Intensif (CECI) under grant 2.5020.11 and by the Walloon Region (ZENOBE Tier-1 supercomputer) under grant 1117545. J.C. is an FNRS research director.
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