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Supramolecular Nanorings for Exploring Quantum Interference

用于探索量子干涉的超分子纳米环

基本信息

批准号：
EP/M016110/1
负责人：
Harry Anderson
金额：
$ 46.16万
依托单位：
University of Oxford
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2015
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2015 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FM016110%2F1
关键词：
Supramolecular Nanorings Exploring Quantum Interference

项目摘要

Young's famous double-slit experiment of 1803 demonstrated that light behaves as a wave. The light emerging from the slits has a characteristic intensity pattern originating from constructive and destructive interference. Later it was found that when single particles (photons or even molecules) pass through a double slit they produce similar interference patterns; this experiment became the key piece of evidence for wave-particle duality.A Mach-Zender interferometer is similar to Young's double-slit setup, except that light is split into two routes using mirrors. When the light is recombined, constructive or destructive interference occurs, depending on the difference in the phase of the light from the two routes. Subtle differences in the path-length, or refractive index, can easily be detected, because they determine the phase difference, and thus they control the interference.This project aims to synthesise and test a "molecular Mach-Zender interferometer" consisting of a molecule with two charge-transport paths; interference between the two transmission channels controls whether the whole system is conductive (in phase) or non-conductive (out of phase). Thus these molecules are expected to be sensitive to magnetic or electric fields which can change the relative phases of the two channels. Furthermore quantum interference effects tend to produce sharp changes in transmission with electron energy, which can result in strong thermoelectric effects. This project is concerned with exploring fundamental principles, but in the long term, this research has the potential to generate commercially disruptive technologies, such as thermoelectric devices for scavenging thermal energy, and transistors with reduced power requirements, abrupt switching and small footprints.This project if a thoroughly integrated collaboration of three research groups focusing on (1) Oxford: design and synthesis of molecular structures, (2) Liverpool: testing of single molecule conductance and thermopower, and (3) Lancaster: theory and computational simulation, to guide the interpretation of the experimental data, and the design of new molecular structures.At present there exists a no-man's land between the 15-nm length scale accessible to top-down technologies, such as electron-beam lithography, and bottom-up technologies such as chemical synthesis. The molecules investigated in this project are 3 nm across, but can be increased in size up to around 10 nm. This project is therefore a significant step towards bridging this crucial technology-scale gap, at the limit of Moore's law.

1803年，杨氏著名的双缝实验证明了光的行为是波。从狭缝出射的光具有源自相长干涉和相消干涉的特征强度图案。后来人们发现，当单个粒子（光子甚至分子）通过双缝时，它们会产生类似的干涉图样;这个实验成为波粒二象性的关键证据。马赫-曾德干涉仪类似于杨氏双缝装置，不同之处在于使用镜子将光分成两条路线。当光重新组合时，会发生相长干涉或相消干涉，这取决于来自两条路径的光的相位差。光程或折射率的细微差别很容易检测出来，因为它们决定了相位差，从而控制了干涉，本项目旨在合成和测试一种“分子马赫-曾德尔干涉仪”，它由一个具有两条电荷传输路径的分子组成;两个传输信道之间的干扰控制整个系统是导通（同相）还是非导通（异相）。因此，预期这些分子对可以改变两个通道的相对相位的磁场或电场敏感。此外，量子干涉效应倾向于产生透射与电子能量的急剧变化，这可以导致强热电效应。该项目关注的是探索基本原理，但从长远来看，这项研究有可能产生商业上的颠覆性技术，例如用于收集热能的热电设备，以及具有降低功率要求，突然开关和小尺寸的晶体管。该项目是三个研究小组的全面整合合作，重点是（1）牛津：分子结构的设计和合成，（2）利物浦：单分子电导和热功率的测试，和（3）兰开斯特：理论和计算模拟，指导实验数据的解释，和设计新的分子结构。目前，在15纳米的长度尺度之间存在着一个无人区，可以通过自上而下的技术，如电子束光刻，以及自下而上的技术，如化学合成。该项目中研究的分子直径为3 nm，但尺寸可以增加到10 nm左右。因此，该项目是在摩尔定律的极限下，朝着弥合这一关键技术规模差距迈出的重要一步。