Vibronic Spectroscopy of Single C₆₀ Molecules and Monolayers with the STM

Abstract

A scanning tunneling microscope is used to study the differential conductance (dI/dV) of single C(60) molecules in isolation and in monolayers adsorbed on NiAl(110) and on an ultrathin alumina film grown on the NiAl(110) surface. On the oxide layer, the electronic bands in the dI/dV spectra display a series of equally spaced features, attributed to the vibronic states of the molecules, which are absent when the molecules are adsorbed on the metal. A comparison between the molecular spectra measured on the oxide film reveals the effect of adsorption temperature and geometry, as well as intermolecular interactions on the vibronic features.

Self-assembly of C60 monolayer on epitaxially grown, nanostructured graphene on Ru(0001) surface

“…[20][21][22][23][24][25] Here, we report a supramolecular structure of C 60 molecules grown on G/Ru surface. The periodic surface potential and the good match between the template and the lattice of adsorbed molecules are the dominant factors for this supramolecular structure.…”

Resonant inelastic tunneling in molecular junctions

“…7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 While weak inelastic signatures are observed in measurements of conductance with strong electronic coupling between the molecule and leads, stronger vibronic peaks with pronounced phonon sidebands (we use the term phonon to describe any vibrational excitation) may be observed when this coupling is weak. A full Franck-Condon envelope has been observed with weak molecule-electrode interactions at both termini 15 .…”

Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy in molecular junctions showing quantum interference

“…For single molecule devices weakly coupled to the electrodes, spectroscopy of vibrational modes as a function of gate voltage has been reported in the Coulomb blockade regime * maria-luisa.della-rocca@univ-paris-diderot.fr [14][15][16][17][18][19]. However, for the case of molecules strongly coupled to the leads, such as in the quantum interference regime, IETS remains a better spectroscopic tool [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. Recent theoretical works have calculated the inelastic contributions to the current in the presence of QI [28] and have explored propensity rules that can play a role in this case [29,30].…”