Charge injection in molecular wires grafted on metallic surfaces: electron-lattice interaction

H. Ness; A. J. Fisher

doi:10.1140/epjd/e2003-00167-8

EPJ

Charge injection in molecular wires grafted on metallic surfaces: electron-lattice interaction

H. Ness¹^a and A. J. Fisher²^b

¹ CEA-Saclay, DSM/DRECAM/SPCSI, bâtiment 462, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
² Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK

Received: 10 September 2002
Published online: 3 July 2003

Abstract

We study the injection of single charge carrier in one-dimensional molecular wires in the presence of coherent electron-lattice coupling. We show that charge injection at the molecule/metal interface induces lattice distortions in the molecule itself reflecting the formation of polaron-like defect. The behaviour of the charge density of the injected carrier and the mean position of the carrier depend strongly on the value of the injection energy relative to the band edges of the molecular wires.

PACS: 73.63.-b – Electronic transport in mesoscopic and nanoscale materials and structures / 73.40.Gk – Tunneling / 73.61.Ph – Polymers; organic compounds