Fast polaron switching in degenerate molecular quantum dots

Abstract

Devices for nano- and molecular size electronics are currently a focus of research aimed at an efficient current rectification and switching. Current switching due to conformational changes in the molecules is slow, on the order of a few kHz. Fast switching on the order of 1 THz may be achieved, at least in principle, in a degenerate molecular quantum dot with strong coupling of electrons with vibrational excitations. We show that the mean-field approach fails to properly describe intrinsic molecular switching and present an exact solution to the problem.