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Shot noise of 1,4-benzenedithiol single-molecule junctions

We report measurements of the shot noise on single-molecule Au–1,4-benzenedithiol–Au junctions, fabricated with the mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) technique at 4.2 K in a wide range of conductance values from 10^–2 to 0.24 conductance quanta. We introduce a simple measurement scheme using a current amplifier and a spectrum analyzer and that does not imply special requirements regarding the electrical leads.
The experimental findings provide evidence that the current is carried by a single conduction channel throughout the whole conductance range. This observation suggests that the number of channels is limited by the Au-thiol bonds and that contributions due to direct tunneling from the Au to the π-system of the aromatic ring are negligible also for high conductance. The results are supported by quantum transport calculations using density functional theory.

M. A. Karimi, S. G. Bahoosh, M. Herz, R. Hayakawa, F. Pauly, and E. Scheer
Nano Letters 16, 1803 (2016)
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04848
Publication Date (Web): February 09, 2016