Transient Dynamics in Molecular Junctions: Coherent Bichromophoric Molecular Electron Pumps

Abstract

The possibility of using single molecule junctions as electron pumps for energy conversion and storage is considered. It is argued that the small dimensions of these systems enable to make use of unique intra-molecular quantum coherences in order to pump electrons between two leads and to overcome relaxation processes which tend to suppress the pumping efficiency. In particular, we demonstrate that a selective transient excitation of one chromophore in a bi-chromophoric donor-bridge-acceptor molecular junction model yields currents which transfer charge (electron and holes) unevenly to the two leads in the absence of a bias potential. The utility of this mechanism for charge pumping in steady state conditions is proposed.

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• Bias-Controlled Selective Excitation of Vibrational Modes in Molecular Junctions: A Route Towards Mode-Selective Chemistry
• The Driven Liouville von Neumann Equation in Lindblad Form
• Transient currents in a molecular photo-diode
• Transient probing of the symmetry and the asymmetry of electron interference
• Evaluation of Dynamical Properties of Open Quantum Systems Using the Driven Liouville-von Neumann Approach: Methodological Considerations
• Hierarchical quantum master equation approach to charge transport in molecular junctions with time-dependent molecule-lead coupling strengths
• Spin-orbit interaction induces charge beatings in a lightwave-STM single molecule junction
• Dynamical photo-induced electronic properties of molecular junctions