Optical properties of molecular heterojunctions

分子异质结结合了分子电子学的新技术和微电子工业核心的现有半导体器件。我们打算制作和研究这种异质结，特别是它们与光的相互作用。利用高性能光谱学，我们将利用可见光和红外光吸收以及拉曼散射来监测工作分子结的结构和动力学。例如，分子结的反射率由分子和半导体的光学性质决定，在结操作期间可以使用光来探测这些性质。这些结果提供了有关结的结构随外加电压的变化的信息，并直接洞察了结功能的机制。此外，光反射或透射率的变化可用于计算机和电视显示器，以及提供电子和光学信息之间的接口的设备。分子异质结的潜在应用包括数据存储和处理、光纤通信、高性能计算和廉价、高效的微电子技术。

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.