Single molecular insulator pushes boundaries of current state of the art

Researchers have synthesized the first molecule capable of insulating at the nanometer scale more effectively than a vacuum barrier. The team's insight was to exploit the wave nature of electrons. By designing an extremely rigid silicon-based molecule under 1 nm in length that exhibited comprehensive destructive interference signatures, they devised a novel technique for blocking tunnelling conduction. This new design principle has the potential to support continued miniaturization of classic tr