Atomic and Molecular Manipulation

Atomic and molecular manipulation offers the perspective of miniaturizing devices ultimately down to the size of a single atom.

Andrew J. Mayne (Volume editor), Gérald Dujardin (Volume editor)

9780080963556, Elsevier Science

Hardback, published 28 July 2011

190 pages
22.9 x 15.1 x 1.9 cm, 0.4 kg

Work with individual atoms and molecules aims to demonstrate that miniaturized electronic, optical, magnetic, and mechanical devices can operate ultimately even at the level of a single atom or molecule. As such, atomic and molecular manipulation has played an emblematic role in the development of the field of nanoscience. New methods based on the use of the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) have been developed to characterize and manipulate all the degrees of freedom of individual atoms and molecules with an unprecedented precision. In the meantime, new concepts have emerged to design molecules and substrates having specific optical, mechanical and electronic functions, thus opening the way to the fabrication of real nano-machines. Manipulation of individual atoms and molecules has also opened up completely new areas of research and knowledge, raising fundamental questions of "Optics at the atomic scale", "Mechanics at the atomic scale", Electronics at the atomic scale", "Quantum physics at the atomic scale", and "Chemistry at the atomic scale". This book aims to illustrate the main aspects of this ongoing scientific adventure and to anticipate the major challenges for the future in "Atomic and molecular manipulation" from fundamental knowledge to the fabrication of atomic-scale devices.

Theory of atomic and molecular manipulation
STM manipulation of single atoms and molecules on insulating films
Vibrational processes at the atomic scale
Imaging and force measurement of single molecules with the AFM
Molecular dynamics of localized reactions
Mechanical properties of molecular machinery at the nanoscale
Elementary processes of molecular manipulation

Subject Areas: Applied optics [TTB], Electronics & communications engineering [TJ], Materials science [TGM], Atomic & molecular physics [PHM], Microscopy [PDND]