[b]PhD position in Nanoscience (MC2): Molecular Electronics
Application deadline February 20, 2007. Reference number 2007/12[/b]
Fabrication and transport measurements in single-molecule electronic devices.We are looking for a new PhD student with a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics (or an equivalent degree) for a project on Molecular Electronics.
Candidates should have a background in Solid state Physics and experience in at least some of the following areas: mesoscopic physics, nanofabrication, chemistry. Candidates should be good team players and have an ability to take initiative. Women are especially welcome as applicants for this position since most of our present team members are men.
Welcome with your application, which may be submitted by e-mail, containing: application letter, CV, exam with grades, contact details of at least two references and your MSc thesis.
For further information, please contact:
Associate Professor Sergey Kubatkin, +46 31 772 54 75, e-mail: sergey.kubatkin@mc2.chalmers.se
Send your expression of interest quoting reference number 2007/12, by 2007-02-20 to:
Registrar
Chalmers University of Technology
SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
Phone exch: +46 31 772 10 00
Fax registrar: +46 31 772 49 22
e-mail: registrator@chalmers.se
Trade union representatives
Jan Lindér SACO, Monia Orrbacke TCO, Ralf Berndtsson SEKO
Short project description
The idea of ultimately small electronic devices with an organic molecule working as the active center is very powerful and created the new research field of molecular electronics. In view of possible applications, it is extremely important to be able to fabricate many identical quantum systems. It is possible to prepare moles of identical molecules with useful functions by organic synthesis. The machinery and arsenal of organic chemistry has been refined having in mind performance of molecules in solutions. To be useful in an electronic device, the molecule has to perform well in a solid-state environment, being attached to metallic leads. It was demonstrated that coupling to the lead electrodes dramatically disturbs the molecular object and can overrun its chemical identity. Another well-recognized problem is that metal-molecule interface is not under experimental control and poorly reproducible.
The project goal is to build a single molecular device with the functionality immune to the interface problems. The idea is to design a molecule which is interfaced to bulk metal via chemically active terminal group separated from the kernel moiety by intramolecular tunneling barrier. The terminal group will be essentially the continuation of the metal electrode, and the whole functionality (transistor/switch) will be provided by the kernel. First experiments of this type demonstrated that it is feasible to vary the coupling strength between the molecular moiety and the metallic electrode in a predictable way by insertion of different spacers between terminal group and kernel. We observed that the charge transfer regime changed from coherent transport to sequential tunneling for the same molecular moiety.
As a continuation of this research we are planning to study molecules where the kernel posses some advanced functionality. In particular, we are interested in molecular switches and molecular Single Electron Transistors. As we have demonstrated recently, the statistical analysis of switching events in molecular samples can be used to deduce the switching mechanism and to extract the relevant physical parameters like the strength of electron-phonon coupling, relaxation rates etc. Alternatively, these parameters can be extracted by measuring molecular samples in a SET geometry and analyzing the inelastic tunneling spectroscopy data. This information can serve as a guide for synthesis of molecules with prescribed transport properties.
Can the parameters of molecular switch be optimized by the right choice of active molecule? Can we really get read of interface uncertainty? And, ultimately, can the physics of molecular switching be understood up to the level when it will be possible to specify the desired molecular structure?
We plan to answer this questions experimentally by measuring electron transport through bistable molecules and iteratively adapting the molecular design. The first bunch of molecules is already in our stock, provided by a chemistry group of Professor Thomas Bjornholm at Danish Nanoscience Center in Copenhagen University >>
The announced position is financed within the Linneaus center
The Linnaeus center of Engineered Quantum Systems (LINNEQS) is a center of excellence, located at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden and is financed by the Swedish Research Council. The center has 5 Ph D positions open. LINNEQS’s long-term goal is to develop quantum technology for information processing based mainly on superconducting devices. Research is geared towards studies of the foundations of quantum mechanics and quantum transport, as well as developing supporting technologies. As an added value to this environment a Graduate School in Quantum Engineering has been founded for the center. Excellent state-of-the-art nanofabrication facilities are available in the MC2 process laboratory at Chalmers.
The related Nanosens Consortium financed by Swedish Strategic Research Foundation (SSF), has four Post Doc positions available at Chalmers. The aim of this program is to develop ultrasensitive devices with applications in biosensing and electronics.