Laser Alignment as a Route to Ultrafast Control of Electron Transport through Junctions

doi:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.86.013426

Title: Laser Alignment as a Route to Ultrafast Control of Electron Transport through Junctions

Abstract

We consider the extension of ultrafast laser alignment schemes to surface-adsorbed molecules, where the laser field coerces the molecule to reorient itself relative to the surface. When probed by a scanning tunneling microscope tip, this reorientation modifies the tip-molecule distance, and thus the tunneling current, suggesting a route to an ultrafast, nanoscale current switch. In addition to exploring the controllability of adsorbed molecules by moderately intense laser fields and discussing the fundamental differences of alignment behavior between surface-adsorbed molecules and gas phase molecules, we computationally investigate the quality of orientation with respect to field intensity, field duration, and the location of the tip. Overall, the molecule moves directly to its oriented configuration, which is reasonably insensitive to the tip location. These results collectively suggest the efficacy of using laser alignment schemes to control electron transport through junctions.

Authors:

Reuter, Matthew G ^[1]; Ratner, Mark A. ^[2]; Seideman, Tamar ^[2]

ORNL
Northwestern University, Evanston

Publication Date:: 2012-01-01

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF); Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program

OSTI Identifier:: 1047032

DOE Contract Number:: DE-AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Physical Review. A

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 86; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1050-2947

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; ALIGNMENT; CONFIGURATION; ELECTRONS; LASERS; MICROSCOPES; ORIENTATION; TRANSPORT; TUNNELING

Citation Formats


                    Reuter, Matthew G, Ratner, Mark A., and Seideman, Tamar. Laser Alignment as a Route to Ultrafast Control of Electron Transport through Junctions.  United States: N. p., 2012. 
        Web.  doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.86.013426.

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                    Reuter, Matthew G, Ratner, Mark A., & Seideman, Tamar. Laser Alignment as a Route to Ultrafast Control of Electron Transport through Junctions.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.86.013426

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                    Reuter, Matthew G, Ratner, Mark A., and Seideman, Tamar. Sun .  
        "Laser Alignment as a Route to Ultrafast Control of Electron Transport through Junctions".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.86.013426.

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@article{osti_1047032,

  title        = {Laser Alignment as a Route to Ultrafast Control of Electron Transport through Junctions},

  author       = {Reuter, Matthew G and Ratner, Mark A. and Seideman, Tamar},

  abstractNote = {We consider the extension of ultrafast laser alignment schemes to surface-adsorbed molecules, where the laser field coerces the molecule to reorient itself relative to the surface. When probed by a scanning tunneling microscope tip, this reorientation modifies the tip-molecule distance, and thus the tunneling current, suggesting a route to an ultrafast, nanoscale current switch. In addition to exploring the controllability of adsorbed molecules by moderately intense laser fields and discussing the fundamental differences of alignment behavior between surface-adsorbed molecules and gas phase molecules, we computationally investigate the quality of orientation with respect to field intensity, field duration, and the location of the tip. Overall, the molecule moves directly to its oriented configuration, which is reasonably insensitive to the tip location. These results collectively suggest the efficacy of using laser alignment schemes to control electron transport through junctions.},

  doi          = {10.1103/PhysRevA.86.013426},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1047032},
  journal      = {Physical Review. A},

  issn         = {1050-2947},

  number       = 1,

  volume       = 86,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2012},

  month        = {1}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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Title: Laser Alignment as a Route to Ultrafast Control of Electron Transport through Junctions

Abstract

Citation Formats

Rotational excitation and molecular alignment in intense laser fields journal, November 1995

Coherent Control of Quantum Dynamics: The Dream Is Alive journal, March 1993

Experimental Observation of Revival Structures in Picosecond Laser-Induced Alignment of I2 journal, September 2001

CHEMISTRY: Shaped Laser Pulses as Reagents journal, January 2003

Molecular Alignment by Trains of Short Laser Pulses journal, May 2003

Colloquium : Aligning molecules with strong laser pulses journal, April 2003

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Aligning molecules with long or short laser pulses journal, August 2007

Laser-Field-Free Molecular Orientation journal, June 2008

Field-free molecular alignment of CO2 mixtures in presence of collisional relaxation journal, January 2008

Time-Resolved Molecular Frame Dynamics of Fixed-in-Space CS2 Molecules journal, March 2009

Impulsive orientation and alignment of quantum-state-selected NO molecules journal, March 2009

Laser-assisted molecular alignment in a strongly dissipative environment journal, June 2011

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Laser pulse induced transient currents through a single molecule journal, January 2011

Controlling field-free molecular orientation with combined single- and dual-color laser pulses journal, April 2011

Control of Molecular Rotation with a Chiral Train of Ultrashort Pulses journal, December 2011

Field-free molecular alignment control by phase-shaped femtosecond laser pulse journal, December 2011

Measurement of field-free alignment of jet-cooled molecules by nonresonant femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing journal, March 2012

Molecular frame Auger electron energy spectrum from N 2 journal, February 2012

Metric for three-dimensional alignment of molecules journal, March 2012

Simulations of femtosecond atmospheric filaments enhanced by dual pulse molecular alignment journal, April 2012

Field-free molecular orientation of 1 Σ and 2 Π molecules at high temperature journal, April 2012

Enhancement of molecular field-free orientation by utilizing a modulated two-color laser field journal, May 2012

Quantum and classical approaches for rotational relaxation and nonresonant laser alignment of linear molecules: A comparison for CO 2 gas in the nonadiabatic regime journal, May 2012

Dissipative dynamics of laser induced nonadiabatic molecular alignment journal, January 2006

Optimal control of molecular alignment in dissipative media journal, January 2007

Optimal control of rotational motions in dissipative media journal, October 2008

Laser-induced aligned self-assembly on water surfaces journal, April 2009

Laser-Induced Alignment of Self-Assembled Films of an Oligopeptide β Sheet on the Water Surface journal, February 2010

Molecular Focusing and Alignment with Plasmon Fields journal, December 2010

Three-dimensional laser alignment of polyatomic molecular ensembles journal, May 2012

Torsional Control by Intense Pulses journal, September 2007

Manipulating the Torsion of Molecules by Strong Laser Pulses journal, February 2009

A combined experimental and theoretical study on realizing and using laser controlled torsion of molecules journal, June 2009

Coherent control of molecular torsion journal, December 2011

Control and femtosecond time-resolved imaging of torsion in a chiral molecule journal, May 2012

Simulating strong field control of axial chirality using optimal control theory journal, August 2012

Nuclear spin selective laser control of rotational and torsional dynamics journal, February 2012

Laser Field Alignment of Organic Molecules on Semiconductor Surfaces: Toward Ultrafast Molecular Switches journal, November 2008

Conduction Switching of Photochromic Molecules journal, December 2004

Theoretical study of building blocks for molecular switches based on electrically induced conformational changes journal, January 2006

Azobenzenes as Light-Controlled Molecular Electronic Switches in Nanoscale Metal−Molecule−Metal Junctions journal, July 2008

Optical Switching of Charge Transmission through a Single Molecule: Effects of Contact Excitations and Molecule Heating journal, February 2010

Transport and optical response of molecular junctions driven by surface plasmon polaritons journal, April 2010

Light-induced current in molecular junctions: Local field and non-Markov effects journal, May 2011

Coherently controlled molecular junctions journal, January 2012

Resonance-assisted, hot-electron-induced desorption journal, November 1995

Resonant excitation of tip plasmons for tip-enhanced Raman SNOM journal, August 2004

Plasmon resonances on metal tips: Understanding tip-enhanced Raman scattering journal, May 2005

Optical Properties of Metal Tips for Tip-Enhanced Spectroscopies † journal, July 2009

Polyynes as a Model for Carbyne: Synthesis, Physical Properties, and Nonlinear Optical Response journal, March 2005

Real-Space Observation of Molecular Motion Induced by Femtosecond Laser Pulses journal, July 2004

Nanoscale Templating of Close-Packed C 60 Nanowires journal, October 2007

Polydiacetylene films: a review of recent investigations into chromogenic transitions and nanomechanical properties journal, May 2004

Cycloaddition chemistry and formation of ordered organic monolayers on silicon (001) surfaces journal, May 1998

Current-induced organic molecule–silicon bond breaking: consequences for molecular devices journal, June 2000

Toward control of surface reactions with a scanning tunneling microscope. Structure and dynamics of benzene desorption from a silicon surface journal, September 2000

Advances in methods and algorithms in a modern quantum chemistry program package journal, January 2006

General atomic and molecular electronic structure system journal, November 1993

Optical Properties of Nanowire Dimers with a Spatially Nonlocal Dielectric Function journal, September 2010

Solving PDEs in irregular geometries with multiresolution methods I: Embedded Dirichlet boundary conditions journal, January 2012

Solution of the Schrödinger equation by a spectral method journal, September 1982

Solution of the Schrödinger equation by a spectral method II: Vibrational energy levels of triatomic molecules journal, January 1983

Split-operator spectral method for solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in spherical coordinates journal, December 1988

A fast method for solving both the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in angular coordinates and its associated “m-mixing” problem journal, January 2009

Fast algorithms for spherical harmonic expansions, II journal, April 2008

Fast algorithms for spherical harmonic expansions, III journal, September 2010

Time-dependent quantum-mechanical methods for molecular dynamics journal, April 1988

Orientation and morphology of chloroaluminum phthalocyanine films grown by vapor deposition: Electrical field-induced molecular alignment journal, February 2011

Negative Differential Resistance of Oligo(Phenylene Ethynylene) Self-Assembled Monolayer Systems: The Electric-Field-Induced Conformational Change Mechanism journal, February 2011

Coherent laser control of the current through molecular junctions journal, July 2007

Plasmon-Induced Electrical Conduction in Molecular Devices journal, January 2010

Rotational excitation and molecular alignment in intense laser fields
journal, November 1995

Coherent Control of Quantum Dynamics: The Dream Is Alive
journal, March 1993

Experimental Observation of Revival Structures in Picosecond Laser-Induced Alignment of I2
journal, September 2001

CHEMISTRY: Shaped Laser Pulses as Reagents
journal, January 2003

Molecular Alignment by Trains of Short Laser Pulses
journal, May 2003

Colloquium : Aligning molecules with strong laser pulses
journal, April 2003

Enhanced molecular alignment by short laser pulses
journal, January 2004

Tomographic imaging of molecular orbitals
journal, December 2004

Quantum interference during high-order harmonic generation from aligned molecules
journal, May 2005

Aligning molecules with long or short laser pulses
journal, August 2007

Laser-Field-Free Molecular Orientation
journal, June 2008

Field-free molecular alignment of CO2 mixtures in presence of collisional relaxation
journal, January 2008

Time-Resolved Molecular Frame Dynamics of Fixed-in-Space CS2 Molecules
journal, March 2009

Impulsive orientation and alignment of quantum-state-selected NO molecules
journal, March 2009

Laser-assisted molecular alignment in a strongly dissipative environment
journal, June 2011

Generation, characterisation, and applications of atomic and molecular alignment and orientation
journal, January 2011

Laser pulse induced transient currents through a single molecule
journal, January 2011

Controlling field-free molecular orientation with combined single- and dual-color laser pulses
journal, April 2011

Control of Molecular Rotation with a Chiral Train of Ultrashort Pulses
journal, December 2011

Field-free molecular alignment control by phase-shaped femtosecond laser pulse
journal, December 2011

Measurement of field-free alignment of jet-cooled molecules by nonresonant femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing
journal, March 2012

Molecular frame Auger electron energy spectrum from N ₂
journal, February 2012

Metric for three-dimensional alignment of molecules
journal, March 2012

Simulations of femtosecond atmospheric filaments enhanced by dual pulse molecular alignment
journal, April 2012

Field-free molecular orientation of $^{1} Σ$ and $^{2} Π$ molecules at high temperature
journal, April 2012

Enhancement of molecular field-free orientation by utilizing a modulated two-color laser field
journal, May 2012

Quantum and classical approaches for rotational relaxation and nonresonant laser alignment of linear molecules: A comparison for CO ₂ gas in the nonadiabatic regime
journal, May 2012

Dissipative dynamics of laser induced nonadiabatic molecular alignment
journal, January 2006

Optimal control of molecular alignment in dissipative media
journal, January 2007

Optimal control of rotational motions in dissipative media
journal, October 2008

Laser-induced aligned self-assembly on water surfaces
journal, April 2009

Laser-Induced Alignment of Self-Assembled Films of an Oligopeptide β Sheet on the Water Surface
journal, February 2010

Molecular Focusing and Alignment with Plasmon Fields
journal, December 2010

Three-dimensional laser alignment of polyatomic molecular ensembles
journal, May 2012

Torsional Control by Intense Pulses
journal, September 2007

Manipulating the Torsion of Molecules by Strong Laser Pulses
journal, February 2009

A combined experimental and theoretical study on realizing and using laser controlled torsion of molecules
journal, June 2009

Coherent control of molecular torsion
journal, December 2011

Control and femtosecond time-resolved imaging of torsion in a chiral molecule
journal, May 2012

Simulating strong field control of axial chirality using optimal control theory
journal, August 2012

Nuclear spin selective laser control of rotational and torsional dynamics
journal, February 2012

Laser Field Alignment of Organic Molecules on Semiconductor Surfaces: Toward Ultrafast Molecular Switches
journal, November 2008

Conduction Switching of Photochromic Molecules
journal, December 2004

Theoretical study of building blocks for molecular switches based on electrically induced conformational changes
journal, January 2006

Azobenzenes as Light-Controlled Molecular Electronic Switches in Nanoscale Metal−Molecule−Metal Junctions
journal, July 2008

Optical Switching of Charge Transmission through a Single Molecule: Effects of Contact Excitations and Molecule Heating
journal, February 2010

Transport and optical response of molecular junctions driven by surface plasmon polaritons
journal, April 2010

Light-induced current in molecular junctions: Local field and non-Markov effects
journal, May 2011

Coherently controlled molecular junctions
journal, January 2012

Resonance-assisted, hot-electron-induced desorption
journal, November 1995

Resonant excitation of tip plasmons for tip-enhanced Raman SNOM
journal, August 2004

Plasmon resonances on metal tips: Understanding tip-enhanced Raman scattering
journal, May 2005

Optical Properties of Metal Tips for Tip-Enhanced Spectroscopies ^†
journal, July 2009

Polyynes as a Model for Carbyne: Synthesis, Physical Properties, and Nonlinear Optical Response
journal, March 2005

Real-Space Observation of Molecular Motion Induced by Femtosecond Laser Pulses
journal, July 2004

Nanoscale Templating of Close-Packed C ₆₀ Nanowires
journal, October 2007

Polydiacetylene films: a review of recent investigations into chromogenic transitions and nanomechanical properties
journal, May 2004

Cycloaddition chemistry and formation of ordered organic monolayers on silicon (001) surfaces
journal, May 1998

Current-induced organic molecule–silicon bond breaking: consequences for molecular devices
journal, June 2000

Toward control of surface reactions with a scanning tunneling microscope. Structure and dynamics of benzene desorption from a silicon surface
journal, September 2000

Advances in methods and algorithms in a modern quantum chemistry program package
journal, January 2006

General atomic and molecular electronic structure system
journal, November 1993

Optical Properties of Nanowire Dimers with a Spatially Nonlocal Dielectric Function
journal, September 2010

Solving PDEs in irregular geometries with multiresolution methods I: Embedded Dirichlet boundary conditions
journal, January 2012

Solution of the Schrödinger equation by a spectral method
journal, September 1982

Solution of the Schrödinger equation by a spectral method II: Vibrational energy levels of triatomic molecules
journal, January 1983

Split-operator spectral method for solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in spherical coordinates
journal, December 1988

A fast method for solving both the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in angular coordinates and its associated “m-mixing” problem
journal, January 2009

Fast algorithms for spherical harmonic expansions, II
journal, April 2008

Fast algorithms for spherical harmonic expansions, III
journal, September 2010

Time-dependent quantum-mechanical methods for molecular dynamics
journal, April 1988

Orientation and morphology of chloroaluminum phthalocyanine films grown by vapor deposition: Electrical field-induced molecular alignment
journal, February 2011

Negative Differential Resistance of Oligo(Phenylene Ethynylene) Self-Assembled Monolayer Systems: The Electric-Field-Induced Conformational Change Mechanism
journal, February 2011

Coherent laser control of the current through molecular junctions
journal, July 2007

Plasmon-Induced Electrical Conduction in Molecular Devices
journal, January 2010