Electromechanical Switching of a C₆₀ Chain in a Nanogap

Electromechanical switching in fullerene C60 nanochains, introduced the device as a pyrrolidine tris-acid (CPTA) film, was realized nanogap electrodes with ∼20 nm separation. Unlike microscale channels, conductive chain spontaneously formed without electron beam irradiation. The initial current flow likely due to hopping through CPTA molecules. A higher voltage generated nonlinear and caused rapid step drastically generate large flow. further high sudden reduction recognized negative differential resistance, suggesting resistance state change from low state. At high-resistance state, step-like increase changed nanochain conduction low-resistance high- reproducible, sequential input executed binary operation at room temperature. From values, energy for estimated be approximately several milliwatts, most probably by polymerization depolymerization of chain.