Measurement of the conductance of a hydrogen molecule

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 419; no. 6910; pp. 906 - 909
• Main Authors: van Ruitenbeek, J. M, Smit, R. H. M, Noat, Y, Untiedt, C, Lang, N. D, van Hemert, M. C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing 31.10.2002; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Atoms & subatomic particles; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Hydrogen; Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics; Particle physics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Molecular electronics; Electric contact; Point contact; Transport properties; Hydrogen
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/nature01103

Recent years have shown steady progress towards molecular electronics, in which molecules form basic components such as switches, diodes and electronic mixers. Often, a scanning tunnelling microscope is used to address an individual molecule, although this arrangement does not provide long-term stability. Therefore, metal-molecule-metal links using break-junction devices have also been explored; however, it is difficult to establish unambiguously that a single molecule forms the contact. Here we show that a single hydrogen molecule can form a stable bridge between platinum electrodes. In contrast to results for organic molecules, the bridge has a nearly perfect conductance of one quantum unit, carried by a single channel. The hydrogen bridge represents a simple test system in which to understand fundamental transport properties of single-molecule devices.