Mechanical modulation of single-electron tunneling through molecular-assembled metallic nanoparticles

TL;DR

This paper investigates how mechanical vibrations influence single-electron tunneling in molecular-assembled metallic nanoparticles, demonstrating a mechanical single-electron turnstile effect through a microscopic theoretical analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a microscopic theoretical framework for understanding mechanical modulation of single-electron tunneling in nanoparticle junctions with molecular bridges.

Findings

Mechanical vibrations affect tunneling current and electrostatic forces.

The study demonstrates a mechanical single-electron turnstile effect.

The theory is applied to gold nanoparticles with molecular bridges.

Abstract

We present a microscopic study of single-electron tunneling in nanomechanical double-barrier tunneling junctions formed using a vibrating scanning nanoprobe and a metallic nanoparticle connected to a metallic substrate through a molecular bridge. We analyze the motion of single electrons on and off the nanoparticle through the tunneling current, the displacement current and the charging-induced electrostatic force on the vibrating nanoprobe. We demonstrate the mechanical single-electron turnstile effect by applying the theory to a gold nanoparticle connected to the gold substrate through alkane dithiol molecular bridge and probed by a vibrating platinum tip.