@article{ZenichowskiNacciFoelschetal.2012, author = {Zenichowski, Karl and Nacci, Ch and F{\"o}lsch, S. and Dokic, Jadranka and Klamroth, Tillmann and Saalfrank, Peter}, title = {STM-switching of organic molecules on semiconductor surfaces: an above threshold density matrix model for 1,5 cyclooctadiene on Si(100)}, series = {Journal of physics : Condensed matter}, volume = {24}, journal = {Journal of physics : Condensed matter}, number = {39}, publisher = {IOP Publ. Ltd.}, address = {Bristol}, issn = {0953-8984}, doi = {10.1088/0953-8984/24/39/394009}, pages = {11}, year = {2012}, abstract = {The scanning tunnelling microscope (STM)-induced switching of a single cyclooctadiene molecule between two stable conformations chemisorbed on a Si(100) surface is investigated using an above threshold model including a neutral ground state and an ionic excited state potential. Switching was recently achieved experimentally with an STM operated at cryogenic temperatures (Nacci et al 2008 Phys. Rev. B 77 121405(R)) and rationalized by a below threshold model using just a single potential energy surface (Nacci et al 2009 Nano Lett. 9 2997). In the present paper, we show that experimental key findings on the inelastic electron tunnelling (IET) switching can also be rationalized using an above threshold density matrix model, which includes, in addition to the neutral ground state potential, an anionic or cationic excited potential. We use one and two-dimensional potential energy surfaces. Furthermore, the influence of two key parameters of the density matrix description, namely the electronic lifetime of the ionic resonance and the vibrational lifetimes, on the ground state potential are discussed.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Zenichowski2012, author = {Zenichowski, Karl}, title = {Quantum dynamical study of Si(100) surface-mounted, STM-driven switches at the atomic and molecular scale}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-62156}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2012}, abstract = {The aim of this thesis is the quantum dynamical study of two examples of scanning tunneling microscope (STM)-controllable, Si(100)(2x1) surface-mounted switches of atomic and molecular scale. The first example considers the switching of single H-atoms between two dangling-bond chemisorption sites on a Si-dimer of the Si(100) surface (Grey et al., 1996). The second system examines the conformational switching of single 1,5-cyclooctadiene molecules chemisorbed on the Si(100) surface (Nacci et al., 2008). The temporal dynamics are provided by the propagation of the density matrix in time via an according set of equations of motion (EQM). The latter are based on the open-system density matrix theory in Lindblad form. First order perturbation theory is used to evaluate those transition rates between vibrational levels of the system part. In order to account for interactions with the surface phonons, two different dissipative models are used, namely the bilinear, harmonic and the Ohmic bath model. IET-induced vibrational transitions in the system are due to the dipole- and the resonance-mechanism. A single surface approach is used to study the influence of dipole scattering and resonance scattering in the below-threshold regime. Further, a second electronic surface was included to study the resonance-induced switching in the above-threshold regime. Static properties of the adsorbate, e.g., potentials and dipole function and potentials, are obtained from quantum chemistry and used within the established quantum dynamical models.}, language = {en} } @article{ZenichowskiDokicKlamrothetal.2012, author = {Zenichowski, Karl and Dokic, Jadranka and Klamroth, Tillmann and Saalfrank, Peter}, title = {Current versus temperature-induced switching of a single molecule - open-system density matrix theory for 1,5-cyclooctadiene on Si(100)}, series = {The journal of chemical physics : bridges a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistr}, volume = {136}, journal = {The journal of chemical physics : bridges a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistr}, number = {9}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Melville}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.3692229}, pages = {13}, year = {2012}, abstract = {The switching of single cyclooctadiene molecules chemisorbed on a Si(100) surface between two stable conformations, can be achieved with a scanning tunneling microscope [Nacci , Phys. Rev. B 77, 121405(R) (2008)]. Recently, it was shown by quantum chemical and quantum dynamical simulations that major experimental facts can be explained by a single-mode model with switching enforced by inelastic electron tunneling (IET) excitations and perturbed by vibrational relaxation [Nacci , Nano Lett. 9, 2997 (2009)]. In the present paper, we extend the previous theoretical work in several respects: (1) The model is generalized to a two-mode description in which two C2H4 units of COD can move independently; (2) contributions of dipole and, in addition, (cation and anion) resonance-IET rates are considered; (3) the harmonic-linear vibrational relaxation model used previously is generalized to anharmonic vibrations. While the present models highlight generic aspects of IET-switching between two potential minima, they also rationalize specific experimental findings for COD/Si(100): (1) A single-electron excitation mechanism with a linear dependence of the switching rate on tunneling current I, (2) the capability to switch both at negative and positive sample biases, and (3) a crossover temperature around similar to 60 K from an IET-driven, T-independent atom tunneling regime, to classical over-the-barrier isomerization with exponential T-dependence at higher temperatures for a bias voltage of +1.5 V and an average tunneling current of 0.73 nA.}, language = {en} }