Fast polaron switching in degenerate molecular quantum dots

Abstract

Devices for nano- and molecular size electronics are currently a focus of researchaimed at an efficient current rectification and switching. Current switching due toconformational changes in the molecules is slow, of the order of a few kHz. Fast switching(∼1 THz) may be achieved, at least in principle, in a degenerate molecular quantum dot withstrong coupling of electrons with vibrational excitations. We show that the mean-fieldapproach fails to properly describe intrinsic molecular switching and present an exactsolution to the problem.