Optoelectronic switching of addressable molecular crossbar junctions

Abstract

This letter reports on the observation of optoelectronic switching in addressable molecular crossbar junctions fabricated using polymer stamp-printing method. The active medium in the junction is a molecular self-assembled monolayer softly sandwiched between gold electrodes. The molecular junctions are investigated through currentvoltage measurements at varied temperature (from 95 to 300 K) in high vacuum condition. The junctions show reversible optoelectronic switching with the highest on/off ratio of 3 orders of magnitude at 95 K. The switching behavior is independent of both optical wavelength and molecular structure, while it strongly depends on the temperature. Initial analysis indicates that the distinct binding nature of the molecule/electrode interfaces play a dominant role in the switching performance.