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Federico Ravera

Publications and source records attributed to Federico Ravera.

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Toward the Rational Design of Molecular Field-Coupled Nanocomputing Candidates

Molecular Field-Coupled Nanocomputing (MolFCN) is a promising beyond-CMOS paradigm in which information is propagated electrostatically rather than through charge transport, enabling ultra-low-power logic. Identifying molecules with stable logic states, efficient clock-field switching, and reliable information propagation, however, remains an open challenge. In this Letter, we introduce LUFFY (Layered Unified Framework for MolFCN systematic analYsis), a framework for the rational design and validation of molecular candidates for MolFCN architectures. Starting from 27 synthetically accessible molecules, we combine conformational sampling and electrostatic analysis in neutral and oxidized states to derive robust descriptors of molecular response. In particular, we extract the V${in}$-to-Aggregated-Charge Transcharacteristics (VACTs), capturing the field-induced charge response, and introduce energy-averaged models validated via ab initio molecular dynamics to account for conformational diversity. Finally, we use the resulting molecular responses to evaluate device-level propagation and demonstrate stable information transfer. These results directly link molecular structure to functional information flow, identifying conformationally robust electrostatic response as a key requirement for MolFCN operation. Overall, this work establishes a unified and transferable framework for the identification and validation of MolFCN molecular candidates, bridging molecular design and circuit-level functionality. By unifying previously fragmented approaches into a sustainable methodology, LUFFY enables rational and scalable molecular discovery and establishes a foundation for data-driven design strategies that accelerate the development of ultra-low-power information processing technologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Are nonequilibrium effects relevant for chiral molecule discrimination?

Sensing and discriminating between enantiomers of chiral molecules remains a significant challenge in the design of sensor platforms. In the case of chemoresistive sensors, where detection relies on changes in electrical response upon analyte adsorption, the sensor substrate is typically functionalized with chirality sensitive molecular receptors. In this computational study, we investigate whether a chirality-blind substrate, such as a graphene nanoribbon, is still capable of discriminating between enantiomers. To this end, we employ a density-functional parametrized tight-binding method combined with nonequilibrium Green functions. For a small set of chiral amino acids, we demonstrate that accounting for the nonequilibrium response of the device leads to significant differences in the electrical currents of enantiomeric pairs of the order tens of nanoamperes. This effect is further amplified when structural fluctuations of the device's active region are considered (1-2 microAmp). Moreover, we propose new quantum-mechanical quantities for enantioselective discrimination in molecular sensors, with an emphasis on binding features and property-property correlations. Therefore, our work demonstrates the significance of nonequilibrium effects in chiral discrimination, laying the foundation for future investigations addressing the design of chiral molecular sensors.

physics.chem-ph