Molecular Electronics

The drive to shrink electronic devices to the nano-level, has, in recent years, led to the design and investigation of molecular-scale components endowed with sensing, switching, logic, and information storage functions. Although the implementation of information processing with such devices faces hurdles in the development of logic architecture and intermolecular hook up schemes, molecular data storage and processing are subjects to active interest.

Species suitable for molecular data storage must (i) possess two or more physico-chemically distinct states that can be conveniently switched by application of external triggers and (ii) should be addressable and switchable within the nanometer regime. Towards these goals, our research group is studying electronic properties of molecules by the use of break junction and STM techniques.