Abstract
(Englisch)
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Starting from the electronic and mechanical properties of single molecules on surfaces, we will design, synthesise and test molecular devices like molecular wires, molecular 3-terminal gates and intramolecular circuits. Nano-technology and chemistry are both developed to fabricate the interconnection nano-circuit with a fault tolerant specific architecture, the molecular interconnects and the cantilevers for a parallel assembly of those devices on the circuit. 7 groups from 6 different countries are participating to this project, 4 in UHV-STM and/or UHV-STM-AFM, 1 in theory and chemistry, 1 in nano-fabrication and one in circuit and processor architecture.
Objectives:
BUN will design, synthesise, interconnect, assemble and test molecular devices (with critical dimension well below 1 nm) and circuits to build an information processing machine in a bottom up approach. Tunnelling electrons are used as information carriers guided by atomic and atomic wires through molecular circuits associated to form a real space fault tolerant architecture as opposed to quantum computer 'state space' concepts. Molecular 3-terminal gates will be designed, tested and integrated along those circuits. BUN will provide the fabrication processes for the metallic and dielectric interconnections, for the parallel deposition and positioning techniques of the molecular devices or the elementary molecular processor on the circuit interconnection network.
Work description:
To gain a fine knowledge on the inter and intramolecular electronics and mechanical behaviours of single molecules on surfaces, intensive UHV-STM and UHV-STM-AFM studied are carried out using all the I-Z, I-V, I-X, F-X and F-Z spectroscopy accessible on a single molecule with those techniques. This is re-enforced by a unique STM and AFM calculation and simulation service internal to BUN. STM movies are also used to follow the inter-mechanical molecular properties of molecules on surface or at the edge of steps under self-assembling conditions. Commercial molecules initiate those experiments during the first months. Then, molecules designed and synthesised in and for BUN are studied. Design rules are established depending on quantum concepts and on the firs BUN results on commercial molecules in a positive feedback strategy. In parallel, BUN develops the fabrication of coplanar nano-junctions down to 1 nm in width and of the associated circuits. Specific molecules are synthesised for 2 or more interconnections with supplementary functional groups required for this planar adsorption geometry on the electrodes. Long molecular wires and 3-terminal devices are tested after the full development of new deposition techniques unique to BUN. Specific quantum circuit simulators are developed to go from a discrete molecular device approach towards the integration of a full processor inside a single molecule. The determined fault tolerant architecture is translated in a molecular structure, synthesised, interconnected and tested by the end of BUN.
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