Electronic transport in self-organised molecular nanostructure devices

A computational model of the frequency dependent conductivity in hybrid metal/organic multilayer nanostructures is presented. The structures under investigation are fabricated by evaporation of liquid crystal molecules onto an ultrathin MBE grown metal film. The disk-like liquid crystal molecules self-assemble in conducting columns which, in turn, self-organise on the metal surface to form an ordered 2-dimensional array. Electronic transport in the metal film is influenced by this molecular overlayer, and such systems may thus be used in a range of sensor applications, with the specific sensor functions being determined by customised chemical synthesis of the molecules.