An Au25-R single-molecule tidal diode induced by the asymmetrical coupling
Zewen Zuo,
Weicheng Yan,
Kangkang Zhang,
Caigan Xi,
Yuewen Mu,
Zhao-Bo Hu,
Minhao Zhang,
Kuo-Juei Hu,
You Song,
Fengqi Song
Affiliations
Zewen Zuo
National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, and School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Weicheng Yan
College of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Kangkang Zhang
National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, and School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Caigan Xi
National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, and School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Yuewen Mu
Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage of Shanxi Province, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Zhao-Bo Hu
State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Minhao Zhang
National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, and School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Kuo-Juei Hu
National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, and School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
You Song
State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Fengqi Song
National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, and School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
As a basic electronic component, the diode has drawn much attention in single-molecule electronics. However, the single-molecule diode is limited to the conventional diode mode, switching to “on” with a forward voltage and to “off” whenever an opposite voltage is applied. We report on a paradigm for designing a single-molecule tidal diode, which enables gate-controlled reversible rectifying behavior. In the Au25-R single-molecule transistors constructed by us, we observed clear rectification and achieved an electrically controllable reversible diode effect. The backward rectification ratio reached the maximum value of 30 at a negative bias voltage of −30 mV, while the forward rectification ratio was slightly smaller. We used an asymmetrical coupling model and a Landauer resonant tunneling model to explain the reversible diode effect and its dependence on temperature. The integration of bidirectional tunable diodes in a single-molecule device creates an avenue of research and allows the discovery of a set of traffic rules for the electronic world in the future.
