A switchable molecular device is constructed by contacting an individual nanoparticle based on spin-crossover molecules between nanometer-spaced electrodes. The switching and memory effects near room temperature are a consequence of the intrinsic bistability of the nanoparticle. Interestingly, for molecular spintronics, the spin crossover can also be induced by applying a voltage, showing that its magnetic state is electrically controllable.

Three-terminal transport is studied in molecular junctions incorporating a single gridlike [CoII4L4] (BF4)8 metallosupramolecular species. The recorded differential conductance as a function of gate and bias voltage (see image) shows reproducible switching behavior in the Coulomb diamonds. BF4− counter ions in the vicinity of the molecular junction acting as offset charges are the most likely cause of the observed phenomena. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as "Supporting Information". Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

We demonstrate an electrically controlled high-spin (S = 5/2) to low-spin (S = 1/2) transition in a three-terminal device incorporating a single Mn(2+) ion coordinated by two terpyridine ligands. By adjusting the gate-voltage we reduce the terpyridine moiety and thereby strengthen the ligand-field on the Mn-atom. Adding a single electron thus stabilizes the low-spin configuration and the corresponding sequential tunnelling current is suppressed by spin-blockade. From low-temperature inelastic cotunneling spectroscopy, we infer the magnetic excitation spectrum of the molecule and uncover also a strongly gate-dependent singlet-triplet splitting on the low-spin side. The measured bias-spectroscopy is shown to be consistent with an exact diagonalization of the Mn-complex, and an interpretation of the data is given in terms of a simplified effective model.

We have measured quantum transport through an individual Fe(4) single-molecule magnet embedded in a three-terminal device geometry. The characteristic zero-field splittings of adjacent charge states and their magnetic field evolution are observed in inelastic tunneling spectroscopy. We demonstrate that the molecule retains its magnetic properties and, moreover, that the magnetic anisotropy is significantly enhanced by reversible electron addition/subtraction controlled with the gate voltage. Single-molecule magnetism can thus be electrically controlled.

The observation of electrical switching in molecular junctions has recently attracted a lot of attention and the operation of a 160 kB dynamic random access memory (DRAM) circuit based on monolayers of bistable rotaxane molecules as data storage elements has been described. Reports on conductance switching in the literature, however, remain controversial with regard to the nature of the mechanism itself: conformational changes, molecule-bond fluctuations, or reversible formation of metallic filaments through molecular layers are among the proposed mechanisms. Herein, we present a study of conductance switching in molecular junctions carried out using [Co4L4] (BF4)8 gridlike [2 2] molecules in threeterminal devices, where L is 4,6-bis(20,200-bipyrid-60-yl)-2phenylpyrimidine). Transport measurements at cryogenic temperatures reveal Coulomb blockade and exhibit excitation lines at low energy, which are attributed to vibrational modes of the molecule. When applying a bias above a threshold voltage, current–voltage (I–V) characteristics show switch events between bistable branches. The measurements hint at an electrostatic origin of this effect and we argue that subnanometer motion of electrostatically bound counter ions in the

We present a method to make Pt nanometer-spaced electrodes that are free of metallic particles and stable at ambient conditions. The nanogaps are fabricated using feedback-controlled electromigration to form few-atom contacts. When performing this procedure at elevated temperatures (>420 K), the Pt contacts undergo self-breaking so that nanometer separated electrode pairs are formed. Once cooled down to lower temperatures, the nanogaps stabilize and can be characterized in detail. We find that current-voltage characteristics can be well fitted to a Simmons model for tunneling and gap-size fluctuations at room temperature determined from these fits stay within 0.6 Å for at least 50 h.

We have fabricated nanometer-spaced electrodes on electron-transparent silicon nitride membranes. A thin Cr/Au layer is evaporated on the backside of the membrane which serves as a gate electrode. Using these devices, we have performed three-terminal electron transport measurements on gold nano-particles at liquid helium temperature. Coulomb Blockade features have been observed and the capacitance to the gate has been extracted. After transport measurements, the Cr/Au back gate is removed and the devices are inspected with a transmission-electron microscope (TEM). TEM inspection reveals the presence of a few nano-particles in the nanogap, which is in agreement with the transport measurements. In addition, the nano-particle size as observed by TEM coincides with the one estimated from the gate capacitance value.

Transport through single molecules has been studied using different test beds. In this paper we focus on three-terminal devices in which a molecule bridges the gap between two gold electrodes and a third electrode-the gate-is able to modulate the conduction properties of the junction. Depending on the electronic coupling, Gamma, between the molecule and the gold electrodes, different transport regimes can be distinguished. We show measurements on junctions incorporating different single-molecule systems which demonstrate the distinction between these regimes, as well as the experimental limitations in controlling the exact value of Gamma.

Low-temperature three-terminal transport measurements through a thiol end-capped pi-conjugated molecule have been carried out. Electronic excitations, including zero and finite-bias Kondo-effects, have been observed and studied as a function of magnetic field. Using a simplified two-orbital model, we have accounted for the spin and the electronic configuration of the first four charge states of the molecule. The charge-dependent couplings to gate, source, and drain electrodes suggest a scenario in which charges and spins are localized at the ends of the molecule, close to the electrodes.

Transport trough electromigrated molecular junctions that contain an individual thiol end-capped oligophenylenevinylene molecule has been studied. At low temperatures more than fifteen excitations appear in the differential conductance map (see figure). Their energies agree with energies obtained from optical measurements on the same molecule, and are therefore attributed to vibrational modes. Addition energies are consistently an order of magnitude smaller than the optical HOMO-LUMO gap.

We present results on electromigrated Au nanojunctions broken near the conductance quantum 77.5 μS. At room temperature we find that wires, initially narrowed by an actively-controlled electromigration technique down to a few conductance quanta, continue to narrow after removing the applied voltage. Separate electrodes form as mobile gold atoms continuously reconfigure the constriction. We find, from results obtained on over 300 samples, no evidence for gold cluster formation in junctions broken without an applied voltage, implying that gold clusters may be avoided by using this self-breaking technique.

We have studied the gate and temperature dependence of molecular junctions containing sulfur end-functionalized tercyclohexylidenes. At low temperatures we find temperature-independent transport; at temperatures above 150 K the current increases exponentially with increasing temperature. Over the entire temperature range (10 -300 K), and for different gate voltages, a simple toy model of transport through a single level describes the experimental results. In the model, the temperature dependence arises from the Fermi distribution in the leads and in a three-parameter fit we extract the level position and the tunnel rates at the left and right contact. We find that these parameters increase as the bias voltage increases.

We report on the fabrication and characterization of molecular junctions which are fabricated with electromigration and subsequent trapping of the molecule from solution. Transport measurements show molecule‐specific features (vibrational modes; gate coupling) and indicate the presence of a single molecule in the gap. Electromigrated junctions can be very stable and allow for temperature dependent measurements, which provide, next to gate dependent measurements, an additional tool to perform detailed studies of transmolecular conduction mechanisms. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Admitindo a existência de correlação positiva entre o tempo de enchimento dos grãos e a produtividade, foi estudada a duração do período de formação dos grãos em cultivares brasileiras de trigo. Os resultados obtidos demonstram existir grande variação entre cultivares na duração deste período, o qual mostrou-se menor nas cultivares tardias de ciclo vegetativo longo. Destacaram-se, por possuírem longo período de formação dos grãos, as cultivares super-precoces SB 7519, CEP 7596 e IAS 58; as cultivares precoces Jacui, PF 75171, CNT 9, PEL 72393, Frontana, PAT 7392, IAS 54, Coxilha, Cotiporã e Nobre e as cultivares de ciclo intermediário CNT 8 e PEL 72390. Nenhuma cultivar tardia dentre as testadas evidenciou longo período do espigamento à colheita.Assuming positive correlation between the grain filling period duration and yield this character was studied for 38 Brazilian wheat cultivare. Results demonstrate a great variation in the gram filling period duration that was shorter in late than hi earlier cultivars. The following earlier and semi-late cultivare had the longest grain filling period: SB 7519, CEP 7596, IAS 58, Jacui, PF 75171, CNT 9, PEL 72393, Frontana, PAT 7392, IAS 54, Coxilha, Cotiporã, Nobre CNT 8 and PEL 72390. None of the tested late cultivars has shown a long period from heading to harvest.