Mechanoelectric Sensitivity Reveals Destructive Quantum Interference in Single-molecule Junctions

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Nov 21

PMID 39572552

Authors

Sebastiaan van der Poel

Juan Hurtado-Gallego

Matthias Blaschke

Ruben Lopez-Nebreda

Almudena Gallego

Marcel Mayor

Fabian Pauly

Herre S J van der Zant

Nicolas Agrait

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Quantum interference plays an important role in charge transport through single-molecule junctions, even at room temperature. Of special interest is the measurement of the destructive quantum interference dip itself. Such measurements are especially demanding when performed in a continuous mode of operation. Here, we use mechanical modulation experiments at ambient conditions to reconstruct the destructive quantum interference dip of conductance versus displacement. Simultaneous measurements of the Seebeck coefficient show a sinusoidal response across the dip without sign change. Calculations that include electrode distance and energy alignment variations explain both observations quantitatively, emphasizing the crucial role of thermal fluctuations for measurements under ambient conditions. Our results open the way for establishing a closer link between break-junction experiments and theory in explaining single-molecule transport phenomena, especially when describing sharp features in the transmission.

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