Quantum Conductance Oscillations in Metal/Molecule/Metal Switches at Room Temperature
Abstract
Conductance switching has been reported in many molecular junction devices, but in most cases has not been convincingly explained. We investigate conductance switching in Pt/stearic acid monolayer/Ti devices using pressure-modulated conductance microscopy. For devices with conductance G>>GQ or G<<GQ, where GQ=2e2/h is the conductance quantum, pressure-induced conductance peaks <30 nm in diameter are observed, indicating the formation of nanoscale conducting pathways between the electrodes. For devices with G~ 1- 2 GQ, in addition to conductance peaks we also observed conductance dips and oscillations in response to localized pressure. These results can be modeled by considering interfering electron waves along a quantum conductance channel between two partially transmitting electrode surfaces. Our findings underscore the possible use of these devices as atomic-scale switches.
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