Optical probes of molecules as nano-mechanical switches

Dean Kos, Giuliana Di Martino (), Alexandra Boehmke, Bart Nijs, Dénes Berta, Tamás Földes, Sara Sangtarash, Edina Rosta (), Hatef Sadeghi () and Jeremy J. Baumberg ()
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Dean Kos: NanoPhotonics Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Giuliana Di Martino: NanoPhotonics Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Alexandra Boehmke: NanoPhotonics Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Bart Nijs: NanoPhotonics Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Dénes Berta: King’s College London
Tamás Földes: King’s College London
Sara Sangtarash: School of Engineering, University of Warwick
Edina Rosta: University College London
Hatef Sadeghi: School of Engineering, University of Warwick
Jeremy J. Baumberg: NanoPhotonics Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Molecular electronics promises a new generation of ultralow-energy information technologies, based around functional molecular junctions. Here, we report optical probing that exploits a gold nanoparticle in a plasmonic nanocavity geometry used as one terminal of a well-defined molecular junction, deposited as a self-assembled molecular monolayer on flat gold. A conductive transparent cantilever electrically contacts individual nanoparticles while maintaining optical access to the molecular junction. Optical readout of molecular structure in the junction reveals ultralow-energy switching of ∼50 zJ, from a nano-electromechanical torsion spring at the single molecule level. Real-time Raman measurements show these electronic device characteristics are directly affected by this molecular torsion, which can be explained using a simple circuit model based on junction capacitances, confirmed by density functional theory calculations. This nanomechanical degree of freedom is normally invisible and ignored in electrical transport measurements but is vital to the design and exploitation of molecules as quantum-coherent electronic nanodevices.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19703-y

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