2008/02/26 by Daniel R. Ward, D. R. Ward, Gavin D. Scott +7
Chemistry · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Electric field #Electrochemical Analysis and Applications #Excitation #Laser #Materials science #Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures #Molecular electronics #Molecule #Nanoscopic scale #Nanotechnology #Nonlinear optics #Optical rectification #Optics #Optoelectronics #Physics #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Raman spectroscopy #Rectification #Thermal conduction #Voltage #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0953-8984/20/37/374118
published as J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 20, 374118 (2008). · 19 pages, 8 figures, invited paper for forthcoming special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. For other related papers, see http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~natelson/publications.html
arxiv created 2008/02/26 · openalex publication_date 2008/08/26 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Electromigrated nanoscale junctions have proven very useful for studying electronic transport at the single-molecule scale. However, confirming that conduction is through precisely the molecule of interest and not some contaminant or metal nanoparticle has remained a persistent challenge, typically requiring a statistical analysis of many devices. We review how transport mechanisms in both electronic and optical measurements can be used to infer information about the nanoscale junction configuration. The electronic response to optical excitation is particularly revealing. We briefly discuss surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on such junctions, and present new results showing that currents due to optical rectification can provide a means of estimating the local electric field at the junction due to illumination.