Electron devices containing molecules as the active region have been an active area of research over the last few years. In molecular-scale devices, a longstanding challenge has been to create a true three-terminal device; e.g., one that operates by modifying the internal energy structure of the molecule, analogous to conventional FETs. Here we report[1] the observation of such a solid-state molecular device, in which transport current is directly modulated by an external gate voltage. We have realized a molecular transistor made from the prototype molecular junction, benzene dithiol, and have used a combination of spectroscopies to determine the internal energetic structure of the molecular junction, and demonstrate coherent transport.[2,3] Resonance-enhanced coupling to the nearest molecular orbital is revealed by electron tunneling spectroscopy, demonstrating for the first time direct molecular orbital gating in a molecular electronic device.

Prof. Mark A. Reed received his Ph.D. in Physics from Syracuse University in 1983, after which he joined Texas Instruments. In 1990 Mark joined Yale University where he holds the Harold Hodgkinson Chair of Engineering and Applied Science, and is the Associate Director of the Yale Institute for Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering. His research activities have included the investigation of electronic transport in nanoscale and mesoscopic systems, artificially structured materials and devices, molecular scale electronic transport, plasmonic transport in nanostructures, and chem/bio nanosensors. Mark is the author of more than 180 professional publications and 6 books, has given 19 plenary and over 260 invited talks, and holds 25 U.S. and foreign patents on quantum effect, heterojunction, and molecular devices. He has been elected to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering and Who's Who in the World. His awards include; Fortune Magazine "Most Promising Young Scientist" (1990), the Kilby Young Innovator Award (1994), the Fujitsu ISCS Quantum Device Award (2001), the Yale Science and Engineering Association Award for Advancement of Basic and Applied Science (2002), Fellow of the American Physical Society (2003), the IEEE Pioneer Award in Nanotechnology (2007), and Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (2009).

Department of Physics Condensed Matter Seminar Series

1. 1 H. Song et al., Nature 462, 1039 (2009)
2. H. Song et al., J. Appl. Phys. 109, 102419 (2011)
3. H. Song et al., J. Phys. Chem. C, 114, 20431 (2010)

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

• Mark A. Reed (2016), "Molecular Transistors," https://nanohub.org/resources/23658.

  BibTex | EndNote

1. molecular transistors
2. nanoelectronics