David M. Cardamone

Controlling quantum transport through a single molecule.

We investigate multiterminal quantum transport through single monocyclic aromatic annulene molecules, and their derivatives, using the nonequilibrium Green function approach within the self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation. We propose a new device concept, the quantum interference effect transistor, that exploits perfect destructive interference stemming from molecular symmetry and controls current flow by introducing decoherence and/or elastic scattering that break the symmetry. This approach overcomes the fundamental problems of power dissipation and environmental sensitivity that beset nanoscale device proposals.

The quantum interference effect transistor

We give a detailed discussion of the quantum interference effect transistor (QuIET), a proposed device which exploits the interference between electron paths through aromatic molecules to modulate the current flow. In the off state, perfect destructive interference stemming from the molecular symmetry blocks the current, while in the on state, the current is allowed to flow by locally introducing either decoherence or elastic scattering. Details of a model calculation demonstrating the efficacy of the QuIET are presented, and various fabrication scenarios are proposed, including the possibility of using conducting polymers to connect the QuIET with multiple leads.

Electrochemically Gated Oligopeptide Nanowires Bridging Gold Electrodes: Novel Bio-Nanoelectronic Switches Operating in Aqueous Electrolytic Environments

We present electronic structure and transport calculations that reveal that oligopeptide based molecular nanowires support unoccupied extended electronic states that span the length of the nanowire and are resistant to disorder. Electrochemical gating in aqueous electrolytes is shown to bring these extended states into resonance with the Fermi level of gold electrodes, transforming these nanowires from insulators into conductors. Thus oligopeptide nanowires are promising candidates for bionanoelectronic switches operating in the aqueous electrolytic environments native to biological systems.

How to measure the spreading width for the decay of superdeformed nuclei.

A new expression for the branching ratio for the decay via the E1 process in the normal-deformed band of superdeformed nuclei is given within a simple two-level model. Using this expression, the spreading or tunneling width gamma (downward arrow) for superdeformed decay can be expressed entirely in terms of experimentally known quantities. We show how to determine the tunneling matrix element V from the measured value of gamma (downward arrow) and a statistical model of the energy levels. The accuracy of the two-level approximation is verified by considering the effects of the other normal-deformed states.

Universality of decay-out of superdeformed bands in the 190 mass region

Superdeformed nuclei in the 190 mass region exhibit a striking universality in their decay-out profiles. We show that this universality can be explained in the two-level model of superdeformed decay as related to the strong separation of energy scales: a higher scale related to the nuclear interactions, and a lower scale caused by electromagnetic decay. Decay-out can only occur when separate conditions in both energy regimes are satisfied, strongly limiting the collective degrees of freedom available to the decaying nucleus. Furthermore, we present the results of the two-level model for all decays for which sufficient data are known, including statistical extraction of the matrix element for tunneling through the potential barrier.

Coherence and Decoherence in Tunneling between Quantum Dots

Coupled quantum dots are an example of the ubiquitous quantum double potential well. In a typical transport experiment, each quantum dot is also coupled to a continuum of states. Our approach takes this into account by using a Greens function formalism to solve the full system. The time-dependent solution is then explored in different limiting cases. In general, a combination of coherent and incoherent behavior is observed. In the case that the coupling of each dot to the macroscopic world is equal, however, the time evolution is purely coherent.

Determining the energy barrier for decay out of superdeformed bands

An asymptotically exact quantum mechanical calculation of the matrix elements for tunneling through an asymmetric barrier is combined with the two-state statistical model for decay out of superdeformed bands to determine the energy barrier (as a function of spin) separating the superdeformed and normal-deformed wells for several nuclei in the 190 and 150 mass regions. The spin-dependence of the barrier leading to sudden decay out is shown to be consistent with the decrease of a centrifugal barrier with decreasing angular momentum. Values of the barrier frequency in the two mass regions are predicted.

EXACTLY SOLVABLE MODEL FOR THE DECAY OF SUPERDEFORMED NUCLEI

The history and importance of superdeformation in nuclei is briefly discussed. A simple two-level model is then employed to obtain an elegant expression for the branching ratio for the decay via the E1 process in the normal-deformed band of superdeformed nuclei. From this expression, the spreading width Γ↓ for superdeformed decay is found to be determined completely by experimentally known quantities. The accuracy of the two-level approximation is verified by considering the effects of other normal-deformed states. Furthermore, by using a statistical model of the energy levels in the normal-deformed well, we can obtain a probabilistic expression for the tunneling matrix element V.

How to Measure the Spreading Width of Superdeformed Nuclei

A new expression for the branching ratio for the decay via the E1 process in the normal‐deformed band of superdeformed nuclei is given within a simple two‐level model. Using this expression, the spreading or tunneling width Γ↓ for superdeformed decay can be expressed entirely in terms of experimentally known quantities. We show how to determine the tunneling matrix element V from the measured value of Γ↓ and a statistical model of the energy levels.

Electron Transport through Protein Fragments

By combining ab initio and semi‐empirical techniques, we construct a theoretical model of electron transport through oligopeptide molecules, i.e. short protein fragments. With no fitting parameters, this model achieves quantitatively accurate agreement with experiment, and so enables the extraction of chemical and physical information, such as bonding geometry and the behavior of the molecules under stretching, from experimental data. Furthermore, the model explains the experimentally observed current rectifying properties of these molecules as a consequence of the hybridization of interfacial states at opposite gold‐molecule contacts; under appropriate bias, these poorly conducting localized states mix to form well conducting whole‐molecule orbitals. Finally, we predict that oligopeptide molecules can be made to exhibit negative differential resistance by a related mechanism, thus opening the way to many interesting protein‐based nanoelectronic devices.