Tamar Seideman of Northwestern University is supported by the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry and Materials Theory Programs to develop and apply quantum mechanical methods in understanding current-triggered dynamics in molecular-scale devices. This research will address effects due to both the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom, and employs scattering methods to describe electron transport. Applications include modeling currents across electrodes and across tips in scanning tunneling microscopy experiments.
Many new technologies are possible if molecular-scale electronic transport could be understood and controlled. The outcomes of this research will enhance fundamental understanding of conductance at the molecular level, explore new ways of manipulating matter at the nanometer scale, and potentially contribute to discoveries of new phenomena in the nanotechnology.
