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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus
MA 33: Focus Session "Spins in Organic Materials I" (jointly with DS)
MA 33.2: Topical Talk
Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 11:30–12:00, GER 37
Charge and Spin Transport through Single-Atom and Single-Molecule Junctions — •Jörg Kröger — Institut für Physik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, D-98693 Ilmenau, Germany
The tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope is used to controllably contact single atoms and molecules adsorbed to surfaces. Owing to atomically precise imaging, the conductance dependence of a single-C60 junction on the C60 orientation has been unambiguously demonstrated. Time-resolved measurements of these junctions show two-level variations of the conductance and indicate an enhanced coupling of electrons to molecular vibrations. Orders-of-magnitude modifications of single-molecule contact conductances have been achieved by dehydrogenating tin-phthalocyanine molecules on Ag(111). Concomitant calculations visualize the current flow through the molecule and highlight the importance of chemical bonds to the electrodes. Spin valve effects have been observed at the ultimate size for magnetic single-atom contacts, which exhibit spin-dependent conductance in the ballistic electron transport regime.