SINGLE · Coupling charge transport to internal degrees of freedom at the single molecule level

By exploiting the internal degrees of freedom of molecules the idea underlying the present proposal is to project electronic function resembling transistors, diodes, switches, or memory onto a single molecule prepared by chemical synthesis. <br/><br/>The scientific aim is to understand transmolecular conductance at a single molecule level and how it is affected by the strength of the electronic coupling to the electrode and to internal degrees of freedom such as vibrations, conformational changes, intramolecular electronic levels, spins, tautomerism or external stimuli (e.g. magnetic field, light).<br/><br/>The strategy is simply to investigate well-defined test systems experimentally in two and three terminal devices and support the results by theory. Applied aspects are long term with high risk and high potential for possible applications. <br/><br/>Work will proceed by iterative cycles of synthesis (WP1), measurements of transconductance (WP2), modeling of results (WP3) and eventually integrating the most promising systems in more advanced prototype devices (WP4).<br/><br/>Separate Work Packages will be allocated for Dissemination (WP5) and Management (WP6).