Carlos Manzano’s research while affiliated with Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and other places

Electronic states of a molecule are usually analyzed via their decomposition in linear superposition of multielectronic Slater determinants built up from monoelectronics molecular orbitals. It is generally believed that a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is able to map those molecular orbitals. Using a low-temperature ultrahigh vacuum (LT-UHV) STM, the dI/dV conductance maps of large single hexabenzocoronene (HBC) monomer, dimer, trimer, and tetramer molecules were recorded. We demonstrate that the attribution of a tunnel electronic resonance to a peculiar π molecular orbital of the molecule (or σ intermonomer chemical bond) in the STM junction is inappropriate. With an STM weak-measurement-like procedure, a dI/dV resonance results from the conductance contribution of many molecular states whose superposition makes it difficult to reconstruct an apparent molecular orbital electron probability density map.

Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images of the Si(100) surface showing apparent (2×1) atom dimer lines have recently been reported. Using experimental and theoretical approaches, it is demonstrated how those (2×1)-like images result from a c(4×2) surface reconstruction imaged at high bias voltages. In the STM junction, the surface contribution of 3px surface-state electronic resonances relative to the 3pz states is bias voltage dependent. The apparent (2×1) STM images result from an increase in the number of bulk Si electronic channels amplifying Si(100)-c(4×2) surface 3px surface states contribution to the tunneling current with respect to the one of 3pz states.

A logic gate has been implemented in a single trinaphthylene molecule. Each logical input controls the position of a surface Au atom that is brought closer or further away from the end of one of the naphthyl branch. Each Au atom carries 1 bit of information and is able to deform nonlocally and to shift in energy the molecular electronic states of the trinaphthylene. Probed at the end of the third naphthyl branch using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, the variations of the tunneling current intensity as a function of the Au atoms position measures the logical output of the gate. We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally that these variations respect the truth table of a NOR logic gate.

Quantum states of a trinaphthylene molecule were manipulated by putting its naphthyl branches in contact with single Au atoms. One Au atom carries 1-bit of classical information input that is converted into quantum information throughout the molecule. The Au-trinaphthylene electronic interactions give rise to measurable energy shifts of the molecular electronic states demonstrating a NOR logic gate functionality. The NOR truth table of the single molecule logic gate was characterized by means of scanning tunnelling spectroscopy.

Gears are microfabricated down to diameters of a few micrometres. Natural macromolecular motors, of tens of nanometres in diameter, also show gear effects. At a smaller scale, the random rotation of a single-molecule rotor encaged in a molecular stator has been observed, demonstrating that a single molecule can be rotated with the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). A self-assembled rack-and-pinion molecular machine where the STM tip apex is the rotation axis of the pinion was also tested. Here, we present the mechanics of an intentionally constructed molecule-gear on a Au(111) surface, mounting and centring one hexa-t-butyl-pyrimidopentaphenylbenzene molecule on one atom axis. The combination of molecular design, molecular manipulation and surface atomic structure selection leads to the construction of a fundamental component of a planar single-molecule mechanical machine. The rotation of our molecule-gear is step-by-step and totally under control, demonstrating nine stable stations in both directions.

Differential conductance (dI/dV) images taken with a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope enabled the first observation of the electron probability distribution of the molecular orbitals of a pentacene molecule directly adsorbed on a metal surface. The three highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO, HOMO-1, and HOMO-2) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital are imaged. Thus dI/dV imaging without any intervening insulating layer permits the visualization of a large variety of molecular orbitals in the electronic cloud of a wide-gap molecule physisorbed on a metal surface.

Chemically tagged hexaphenylbenzene molecules physisorbed on Au(1 1 1) surface display their tag differently under STM as compared to their physisorption on a Cu(1 1 1) surface. Our STM findings complemented by First Principles and Quantum Chemistry calculations have attributed this difference to two different conformations adopted by these molecules on Au(1 1 1) in comparison to its one conformation on Cu(1 1 1). The demonstration of the sensitivity of the tag to its electronic or chemical environment would have important implications in designing single molecule machinery where the motion of the molecule is to be discerned by tracking its tag induced intramolecular STM contrast.