Electron transport through molecular junctions

At present, metal–molecular tunnel junctions are recognized as important active elements in molecular electronics. This gives a strong motivation to explore physical mechanisms controlling electron transport through molecules. In the last two decades, an unceasing progress in both experimental and theoretical studies of molecular conductance has been demonstrated. In the present work we give an overview of theoretical methods used to analyze the transport properties of metal–molecular junctions as well as some relevant experiments and applications. After a brief general description of the electron transport through molecules we introduce a Hamiltonian which can be used to analyze electron–electron, electron–phonon and spin–orbit interactions. Then we turn to description of the commonly used transport theory formalisms including the nonequilibrium Green’s functions based approach and the approach based on the “master” equations. We discuss the most important effects which could be manifested through molecules in electron transport phenomena such as Coulomb, spin and Frank–Condon blockades, Kondo peak in the molecular conductance, negative differential resistance and some others. Bearing in mind that first principles electronic structure calculations are recognized as the indispensable basis of the theory of electron transport through molecules, we briefly discuss the main equations and some relevant applications of the density functional theory which presently is often used to analyze important characteristics of molecules and molecular clusters. Finally, we discuss some kinds of nanoelectronic devices built using molecules and similar systems such as carbon nanotubes, various nanowires and quantum dots.