Single-Molecule Electroluminescence with STM.

ORAL

Abstract

The electron current of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is used to excite electroluminescence of individual Zn-Etioporphyrin-I and Mg-porphine molecules adsorbed on an ultrathin Al$_{2}$O$_{3 }$film grown on the NiAl(110) surface. Al$_{2}$O$_{3 }$film acts as a spacer reducing the quenching of luminescence by the metal substrate. The electroluminescence spectra show well-defined features attributable to vibrational excitation of the molecules. Electroluminescence is sensitive to the molecular adsorption configuration as well as to the position of the STM tip above the molecule. A clear correlation with the corresponding differential conductance spectra is observed.

Authors

  • George Nazin

    Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4575, USA.

  • Shiwei Wu

    Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4575, USA.

  • Xiaohui Qiu

    IBM Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA, IBM Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA.

  • Wilson Ho

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92614, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Chemistry,University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4575, USA., Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4575, USA., University of California, Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4575, USA