Post-doctoral position in the Nanoscience Group (GNS and MANA satellite)

CEMES-CNRS in Toulouse (France)

Theory of transport through surface atomic wires

Finite length surface atom wire are one atom wide conductive lines made by STM atom manipulation where the wires length may reach soon a length between 20 to 100 atoms. The electronic band structure of the wire is not totally formed. Such an atomic wire is characterized by an electronic transparency made of a lot of molecular orbital elementary electronic resonance. For this post-doctoral position, we propose to develop a quantum chemistry like electron transport theory through such finite length surface atomic wire taking into account the elementary electron transfer events between the metallic pads building up the current intensity through the wire. This time dependent problem is never tacked in atom or molecule device taking into account electrostatic environment of the metal-atomic wire-metal device. This model is supposed to be applicable also to molecular wires and will pave the way to predict the response time of a molecular switch, an atom switch or even the computing time of a molecule logic gate. This theoretical work will be supported by atomic wire fabrication performed at NIMS in Tsukuba (Japan) under the MANA project.

References:

P. Doumergue, L. Pizzagalli, C. Joachim, A. Altibelli et A. Baratoff, Physical Review B, 59 , 15910 (1999).
I. Duchemin, N. Renaud and C. Joachim, Chem. Phys. Lett., 452, 269 (2008).
K.S. Yong, D.M. Alvarado, I. Duchemin, M. Saeys and C. Joachim, Phys. Rev. B, B77, 205429 (2008).

Applicants will have to demonstrate a good knowledge of scattering theory (Green or transfer matrix), of standard quantum chemistry methods and show a large interest in programming and analytical models. Position is for a year with a possible extension and with an initial contract of 6 months starting possibly in October 2008. Applications have to be sent to C. Joachim ( joachim(_)cemes.fr ) including a detail CV and 2 recommendations.

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