Piezoresistive Effects in Single Molecule Devices

该计划的目的是了解机械应力和微扰对单分子系统电子性质的影响。通过探索接触几何形状，分子-电极耦合强度，拉伸力和压缩力以及电子-声子相互作用对这些器件的电荷传输特性的影响，该项目将提供有关如何详细，原子的分子系统的能级结构影响电子性质。这一建议的智力价值是，发展一个全面的理解之间的复杂的相互作用，单分子系统的机械和电学性质将提供关于控制这些系统中的电荷传输的重要信息，并使功能性分子电子系统的开发能够取得变革性进展。这包括探索机电计算方案和传感器的新功能范例，可以将机械刺激转换为电信号用于传感器system.The更广泛的影响是，有关机械结构和电荷传输之间的相互作用的知识将影响到分子尺度电子学以外的各种领域。这包括生物学和化学，这些相互作用对于理解蛋白质系统（如光合反应中心）非常重要。 这项研究也将影响散装有机和纳米电子学的研究，因为控制电荷传输机械可能允许新的传感器，设备和应用。此外，该计划的跨学科研究和教育计划将分为三个层次，重点是让K-12学生接触工程学科，本科研究机会以及研究生培训和教育。

The objective of this program is to understand the effects of mechanical stresses and perturbations on the electronic properties of single molecule systems. By exploring the impacts of contact geometry, molecule-electrode coupling strength, tensile and compressive forces, and electron-phonon interactions on the charge transport properties of these devices this project will provide new information about how the detailed, atomic-level configuration of molecular systems affects the electronic properties.The intellectual merit of this proposal is that developing a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between the mechanical and electrical properties of single-molecule systems will provide important information about controlling charge transport in these systems and enable transformative progress in the development of functional molecular-electronic systems. This includes the exploration of new functional paradigms for electromechanical computational schemes and transducers that can convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals for use in sensor systems.The broader impacts are that knowledge about the interaction between mechanical structure and charge transport will affect a variety of fields beyond molecular-scale electronics. This includes biology and chemistry where these interactions are extremely important for understanding protein systems like photosynthetic reactions centers. This research will also impact the study of both bulk organic and nanoscale electronics since controlling charge transport mechanically may allow for novel sensors, devices, and applications. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary research and educational program in this program will be three tiered with efforts focused on exposing K-12 students to engineering disciplines, undergraduate research opportunities, and graduate training and education.