Optical properties of molecular heterojunctions

分子异质结将分子电子学的新技术与微电子工业核心的现有半导体器件相结合。 我们建议制造和研究这种异质结，特别是它们与光的相互作用。 使用高性能的光学光谱学，我们将监测的结构和动力学的工作分子结在可见光和红外区域的光吸收，并与拉曼散射。 例如，分子结的反射率由分子和半导体的光学性质决定，并且光可以用于在结操作期间探测这些性质。 这些结果提供了有关响应于施加电压的结中的结构变化的信息，并直接洞察结功能的机制。 此外，光反射或透射的变化可用于计算机和TV显示器，以及在电子和光学信息之间提供接口的设备中。 分子异质结的潜在应用包括数据存储和处理、光纤通信、高性能计算以及廉价高效的微电子学。

A molecular heterojunction combines the new technology of Molecular Electronics with the existing semiconductor devices at the core of the microelectronics industry. We propose to fabricate and study such heterojunctions, in particular their interactions with light. Using high performance optical spectroscopy, we will monitor the structure and dynamics of working molecular junctions with optical absorption in the visible and infrared regions, and with Raman scattering. For example, the reflectivity of a molecular junction is determined by the optical properties of the molecule and semiconductor, and light may be used to probe these properties during junction operation. The results provide information about structural changes in the junction in response to an applied voltage, and direct insight into the mechanism of junction function. In addition, changes in light reflection or transmission may be used in computer and TV displays, and in devices which provide an interface between electronic and optical information. Potential applications of molecular heterojunctions include data storage and processing, fiber optic communications, high performance computing, and inexpensive, efficient microelectronics.