journal article·2025-11Open access

Redox‐Induced Atomic Switch as Platform for Molecular Electronics Devices

Akira Aiba, Marius Buerkle, Satoshi Kaneko, Tohru Tsuruoka, Sekito Nishimuro, Kazuya Terabe, Tomoaki Nishino

Small· Volume 21· Issue 47

Abstract

Abstract Molecular electronics is attracting increasing attention due to its potential application in post‐silicon electronics. However, fabrication of molecular junctions, the fundamental building block of molecular electronic devices, requires complicated procedures, which hamper the efficient development of novel devices. Here, a simple fabrication process by utilizing an atomic switch operated by redox reaction and migration of metal atoms are proposed. The Ta 2 O 5 ‐based silver atomic switches are operated with a small operation voltage (0.3 V) in an acetylene atmosphere under an ultra‐high vacuum. The consecutive operation of the atomic switch shows novel conductive states around 0.1 G 0 ( G 0 = 2 e 2 / h ). Inelastic electron tunneling spectra and first‐principles calculations reveal that the observed conductive states are attributed to the acetylene molecular junctions on the silver filament. The proposed method accelerates the development of devices through the marriage of molecular junctions with atomic conductive filaments.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures · Quantum and electron transport phenomena · Semiconductor materials and devices

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Chemistry, School of Science Institute of Science Tokyo 2‐12‐1 Ookayama, Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152–8550 Japan

Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology Institute of Science Tokyo 2‐12‐1 Ookayama, Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152–8550 Japan

CD‐FMat National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Central 2, Umezono 1‐1‐1 Tsukuba Ibaraki 305–8568 Japan

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology Institute of Science Tokyo 2‐12‐1 Ookayama, Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152–8550 Japan

Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) 1‐1, Namiki Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐0044 Japan

Funding

Murata Science and Education Foundation

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