Tight-Binding Study of Interaction Time in Molecular Switches

R. A. English, Z. L. Miskovic, S. G. Davison, and F. O. Goodman

Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada
N2L 3G1

Abstract:

A characteristic switching time, associated with an impurity embedded in a tight-binding polyene chain, is developed. The modulated-energy traversal time, derived for potential models, is modified to the tight-binding situation. Since the traversal time takes into account the physical distance propagated, which is a meaningless concept in the context of the tight-binding model, we obtain an interaction time that measures the delay in tunnelling through the impurity site. The switching time is discussed in terms of the impurity-parameter space.

last updated Sat Oct 20 00:46 EDT 2001 by RAE