Voltage-Modulated van der Waals Interaction in Single-Molecule Junctions

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04098
• Publication Date: 2023-01-05T12:46:54Z
• Authors: Yujing Wei; Liang Li; Julia E. Greenwald; Latha Venkataraman
• Keywords: Break junction; Biasing; Modulation (music)

Understanding how molecular geometry affects the electronic properties of single-molecule junctions experimentally has been challenging. Typically, metal-molecule-metal are measured using a break-junction method where electrode separation is mechanically evolving during measurement. Here, to probe impact junction on conductance, we apply sinusoidal modulation position. Simultaneously, nonlinearity current-voltage characteristics each through in applied bias at different frequency. In turn, show that formed with molecules have molecule-electrode interfaces exhibit statistically distinguishable Fourier-transformed conductances. particular, find marked dependence for transmission mediated thorough van der Waals (vdW) interaction. We attribute our findings voltage-modulated vdW interactions level.