Science, Vol.278, No.5336, 252-254, 1997
Conductance of a Molecular Junction
Molecules of benzene-1,4-dithiol were self-assembled onto the two facing gold electrodes of a mechanically controllable break junction to form a statically stable gold-sulfur-aryl-sulfur-gold system, allowing for direct observation of charge transport through the molecules, Current-voltage measurements at room temperature demonstrated a highly reproducible apparent gap at about 0.7 volt, and the conductance-voltage curve showed two steps in both bias directions, This study provides a quantative measure of the conductance of a junction containing a single molecule, which is a fundamental step in the emerging area of molecular-scale electronics.
Keywords:ROOM-TEMPERATURE;COULOMB-BLOCKADE;QUANTUM DOT;SINGLE;WIRES;NANOSTRUCTURE;SPECTROSCOPY;STAIRCASE;DEVICES