Electron Transport in Molecular Transistors
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In this thesis I will describe the conductance properties of certain organic molecules.
I will first show that two metal electrodes can be fabricated with a nm-scale gap between them by causing electomigration-induced failure in a nanoscale wire. These two electrodes are separated by a few nanometers from a metallic gate electrode. Organic molecules can be incorporated into the gap between the electrodes creating a transistor geometry.
Transport measurements on metal-organic complexes at low temperatures show Coulomb
blockade and Kondo-assisted tunneling. Using the specially designed molecule C
I have also been able to make magnetic electrodes to pass spin-polarized current through molecules. Using this, I have studied the coexistence of the Kondo effect and ferromagnetism in the electrodes.
I have also modified the technique to have a mechanically adjustable distance between the two electrodes, which is useful for studying the influence of the contact on the conductance of a device.