Room temperature negative differential resistance in molecular nanowires

Abstract

Electric-field assisted assembly has been used to place rod-shaped metal nanowires containing 4-{[2-nitro-4-(phenylethynyl)phenyl]ethynyl}benzenethiol molecules onto lithographically defined metal pads. In these systems the current–voltage characteristics exhibited negative differential resistance at room temperature with on–off peak-to-valley ratios of 1.80 to 2.21.