Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Study of the transport properties of a molecula...

Associated organisational unit

View graph of relations

Study of the transport properties of a molecular junction as a function of the distance between the leads.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>07/2007
<mark>Journal</mark>physica status solidi (b)
Issue number7
Volume244
Number of pages5
Pages (from-to)2443-2447
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

We consider a model of a molecular junction made of BDT (benzene dithiol) molecule trapped between two Au(100) leads. Using the ab initio approach implemented in the SIESTA package we look for the optimal configurations of the molecule as a function of the distance between the leads. We find that for distances long enough the energy of the system is minimized when the molecule is bonded asymmetrically, i.e. chemisorbed to one of the leads, whereas for distances shorter than 12 Å the energy is minimized when the molecule sits in the middle between the leads. We discuss possible consequences of the above findings for the transport properties of the junction.