Quantum interference in coherent molecular conductance

Coherent electronic transport through individual molecules is crucially sensitive to quantum interference. We investigate the zero-bias and zero-temperature conductance through π-conjugated annulene molecules weakly coupled to two leads for different source-drain configurations, finding an important...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Jimenez Rincon, Jose Julian, Hallberg, Karen Astrid, Aligia, Armando Ángel, Ramasesha, S.
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2009
País:Argentina
Recursos:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/69914
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/69914
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Quantum Interference
Molecules
Conductance
Symmetry
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.3
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descrição
Resumo:Coherent electronic transport through individual molecules is crucially sensitive to quantum interference. We investigate the zero-bias and zero-temperature conductance through π-conjugated annulene molecules weakly coupled to two leads for different source-drain configurations, finding an important reduction for certain transmission channels and for particular geometries as a consequence of destructive quantum interference between states with definite momenta. When translational symmetry is broken by an external perturbation we find an abrupt increase of the conductance through those channels. Previous studies concentrated on the effect at the Fermi energy, where this effect is very small. By analyzing the effect of symmetry breaking on the main transmission channels we find a much larger response thus leading to the possibility of a larger switching of the conductance through single molecules.