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Mechanical modulation of single-electron tunneling through molecular-assembled metallic nanoparticles

Yongqiang Xue·Mark A. Ratner
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Abstract

We present a microscopic study of single-electron tunneling in nanomechanical double-barrier tunneling junctions formed using a vibrating scanning nanoprobe and a metallic nanoparticle connected to a metallic substrate through a molecular bridge. We analyze the motion of single electrons on and off the nanoparticle through the tunneling current, the displacement current and the charging-induced electrostatic force on the vibrating nanoprobe. We demonstrate the mechanical single-electron turnstile effect by applying the theory to a gold nanoparticle connected to the gold substrate through alkane dithiol molecular bridge and probed by a vibrating platinum tip.

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Yongqiang Xue, Mark A. Ratner. 2004-07-26. Mechanical modulation of single-electron tunneling through molecular-assembled metallic nanoparticles. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.70.155408

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