It is well established that quantum interference (QI) effects in molecular junctions can dramatically change electron transport by several orders of magnitude. As QI effects can be tailored by a variety of chemical and physical mechanisms and can survive even at room temperature, they hold great potential for nanoelectronics applications. I give an overview of experimental evidence of QI and characterize its distinctive features and origin from a theoretical perspective. As time allows, I will show how and why [1] QI can be exploited to enhance the performance of chemical sensors [2], thermoelectric, and spintronic [3] devices.

 

[1] A. Valli, T. Fabian, F. Libisch, and R. Stadler, Carbon 214, 118358 (2023)

[2] Ö. Şengül, J. Völkle, A. Valli, and R. Stadler, Phys. Rev. B  105, 165428 (2022)

[3] A. Valli, A. Amaricci, V. Brosco, and M. Capone, Nano Lett. 18, 2158 (2018)