Diodes and switches from single molecules

The ultimate goal of molecular electronics is to create technologies that will complement—and eventually supersede—Si-based microelectronics technologies. To reach this goal, the field of single-molecule electronics is aiming at recognizing and characterizing single-molecule devices that mimic at least some of the behaviors of today's semiconductor components. In this talk I will review several such single-molecule devices, focusing on DNA-based molecular rectifiers and electro-optical (photo-conductance) switches. I will describe both the theoretical aspects and experimental demonstrations of these devices (coming from the lab of Prof. B.-Q. Xu at the university of Georgia). I will discuss the basic physical processes which are responsible for the devices’ behavior, and design principles for improving them. I will conclude with some thoughts about the future of molecular electronics.