Electronic transport through a C$_{60}$ molecular bridge: The role of single and multiple contacts

Abstract

The effects of different contact geometries, bond dimerization, and gate voltage on quantum transport through a C$_{60}$ molecule are studied by the Landauer-B\"{u}ttiker formula based on the Green's function technique. It is shown that the number of contact points between the device electrodes and the molecule can play an important role in the electron conduction. The transmission is due to the resonant tunneling when the electrodes are contacted to one carbon atom of the molecule. In the case of multiple contacts, the interference effects are responsible for the change of the transmission through the C$_{60}$. The bond dimerization and a gate voltage shift the molecular levels and by adjusting the related parameters the electron conduction can be controlled.