[ Lloyd A. Bumm ]
associate professor
B.S. 1982 Clarkson University
Ph.D. 1991 Northwestern University
I am interested in surface physics at the nanometer-scale in condensed systems. In practical terms, can I build an electronic device out of a single molecule? Insight into critical technological problems, such as molecular-scale electronics, molecular light-emitting-diodes, and light harvesting systems, relies on understanding fundamental physical processes at the nanometer scale. When a single molecule is placed between two electrodes, what is its electrical conductivity? How does light modify the molecule’s electrical properties?
My focus is to understand the electronic and the optoelectronic characteristics of individual molecules and functional nanometer-scale assemblies. The experimental approach is to combine the molecular-scale resolution of scanning probe techniques, such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), with optical spectroscopy. When the tunnel junction containing a molecule is illuminated with light, its electronic properties will be slightly modified. This effect will be employed as a spatially localized optical detector with molecular resolution. Conversely, inelastic tunneling processes can induce light emission analogous to electroluminescence in light emitting diodes.
Optically Transparent Au{111} Substrates: Flat Gold Nanoparticle Platforms for High-Resolution Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, D. H. Dahanayaka, J. X. Wang, S. Hossain, and L. A. Bumm, Journal of the American Chemical Society 128(18), 6052-6053 (10 May 2006).
Conductance Switching in Single Molecules through Conformational Changes, Z.J. Donhauser, B.A. Mantooth, K.F. Kelly, L.A. Bumm, J.D. Monnell, J.J. Stapleton, D.W. Price Jr., D.L. Allara, J.M. Tour, and P.S. Weiss, Science 292(5525), 2303-2307 (22 Jun 2001).
Electron Tunneling Through Organic Molecules, L.A. Bumm, J.J. Arnold, T.D. Dunbar, D.L. Allara, and P.S. Weiss, Journal Physical Chemistry B 103(38), 8122-8127 (23 Sep 1999).
Directed Self-Assembly to Create Molecular Terraces with Molecularly Sharp Boundaries in Organic Monolayers, L.A. Bumm, J.J. Arnold, L.F. Charles, T.D. Dunbar, D.L. Allara, and P.S. Weiss, Journal of the American Chemical Society 121(35), 8017-8021 (08 Sep 1999).
Are Single Molecular Wires Conducting? L.A. Bumm, J.J. Arnold, M.T. Cygan, T.D. Dunbar, T.P. Burgin, L. Jones II, D.L. Allara, J.M. Tour, P.S. Weiss, Science, 271(5256), 1705-1707 (22 Mar 1996).
