Franck-Condon Blockade and Giant Fano Factors in Transport through Single Molecules

2004/09/30 by Jens Koch, Felix von Oppen · 52 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.94.206804

published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 206804 (2005) · 4+ pages, 4 figures; minor changes, version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

arxiv created 2005/04/18 · openalex publication_date 2005/05/24 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We show that Franck-Condon physics leads to a significant current suppression at low bias voltages (termed Franck-Condon blockade) in transport through single molecules with strong coupling between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom. Transport in this regime is characterized by remarkably large Fano factors (10(2)-10(3) for realistic parameters), which arise due to avalanchelike transport of electrons. Avalanches occur in a self-similar manner over a wide range of time scales, leading to power-law dependences of the current noise on frequency and vibrational relaxation rate.

Citations

• Shot Noise of a Quantum Shuttle
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