Reinventing Computing or: Molecular electronics is dead, long live molecular electronics!


Perspectives in Nano Information Processing - an international conference and workshop | event contribution
Hosted by: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Fritz Haber Research Center for Molecular Dynamics
Dec. 16, 2015

Molecular Electronics is taking advantage of charge migration in molecular materials for information processing. It is a highly topical issue not only because of its relevance for an insight into processes at the molecular scale, but mainly due to its high potential for the development of novel nanoelectronic devices and sensors or as an enabler for advances in the field of Organic Electronics. However, the full potential of Molecular Electronics to reinvent computing can only be developed by extending the range of molecules, effects, methods and design principles studied far beyond the state of the art. Recent investigations reveal intriguing spin-dependent effects in chiral molecules, opening new fascinating applications of helical molecules like DNA in spintronic molecular devices. Implementations of methods to control temperature gradients at the nanoscale have paved the route for nanoscale phononic and thermoelectric devices in which the interplay of materials design on the one hand and the thermal and electronic properties on the other hand direct new perspectives for Molecular Electronics. Novel nanoarchitectures facilitate the interconnection of molecules and electric contacts and an enhanced design control in building nanoelectronic circuits allows the construction of highly complex molecular arrangements. Such complex arrangements of junctions can even exhibit neuromorphic properties based on molecules as the active switching units. Some of these issues will be presented in this talk [1-7]. These examples show that after more than 40 years from its visionary foundation [8], Molecular Electronics continues being vital field and still bears new potential for controlling information processing on the nanoscale, true to the motto “Molecular electronics is dead, long live molecular electronics!”


Authors

Reinventing Computing or: Molecular electronics is dead, long live molecular electronics!


Perspectives in Nano Information Processing - an international conference and workshop | event contribution
Hosted by: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Fritz Haber Research Center for Molecular Dynamics
Dec. 16, 2015

Molecular Electronics is taking advantage of charge migration in molecular materials for information processing. It is a highly topical issue not only because of its relevance for an insight into processes at the molecular scale, but mainly due to its high potential for the development of novel nanoelectronic devices and sensors or as an enabler for advances in the field of Organic Electronics. However, the full potential of Molecular Electronics to reinvent computing can only be developed by extending the range of molecules, effects, methods and design principles studied far beyond the state of the art. Recent investigations reveal intriguing spin-dependent effects in chiral molecules, opening new fascinating applications of helical molecules like DNA in spintronic molecular devices. Implementations of methods to control temperature gradients at the nanoscale have paved the route for nanoscale phononic and thermoelectric devices in which the interplay of materials design on the one hand and the thermal and electronic properties on the other hand direct new perspectives for Molecular Electronics. Novel nanoarchitectures facilitate the interconnection of molecules and electric contacts and an enhanced design control in building nanoelectronic circuits allows the construction of highly complex molecular arrangements. Such complex arrangements of junctions can even exhibit neuromorphic properties based on molecules as the active switching units. Some of these issues will be presented in this talk [1-7]. These examples show that after more than 40 years from its visionary foundation [8], Molecular Electronics continues being vital field and still bears new potential for controlling information processing on the nanoscale, true to the motto “Molecular electronics is dead, long live molecular electronics!”


Authors