A benzene interference single-electron transistor

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum interference effects in a benzene single-electron transistor influence its electrical transport properties, highlighting the role of molecular state degeneracies and symmetry considerations.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of orbital degeneracies and symmetry breaking on interference effects and current blocking in benzene-based single-electron transistors.

Findings

Interference causes current blocking and conductance suppression.

Degeneracies are crucial for interference effects.

Robustness depends on quasi-degeneracy of molecular states.

Abstract

Interference effects strongly affect the transport characteristics of a benzene single-electron transistor (SET) and for this reason we call it interference SET (I-SET). We focus on the effects of degeneracies between many-body states of the isolated benzene. We show that the particular current blocking and selective conductance suppression occurring in the benzene I-SET are due to interference effects between the orbitally degenerate states. Further we study the impact of reduced symmetry due to anchor groups or potential drop over the molecule. We identify in the quasi-degeneracy of the involved molecular states the necessary condition for the robustness of the results.