Piezoresistive Effects in Single Molecule Devices

本课程的目的是了解机械应力和微扰对单分子体系电子性质的影响。通过探索接触几何、分子-电极耦合强度、拉力和压缩力以及电子-声子相互作用对这些器件电荷传输性质的影响，该项目将提供关于分子系统详细的原子水平构型如何影响电子性质的新信息。这一建议的智力优势是，全面了解单分子系统的机械和电学性质之间的复杂相互作用，将提供关于控制这些系统中电荷传输的重要信息，并使功能分子-电子系统的开发能够取得变革性的进展。这包括探索机电计算方案和传感器的新功能范例，将机械刺激转换为用于传感器系统的电信号。更广泛的影响是，关于机械结构和电荷传输之间相互作用的知识将影响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像光合作用反应中心这样的蛋白质系统极其重要。这项研究还将影响整体有机和纳米电子的研究，因为通过机械控制电荷传输可能会允许新的传感器、设备和应用。此外，该计划中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、本科生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.