Regulating electric current through medium, useful as molecular switch in electronics or chemical process control, involves changing parameter inhibiting internal motion of adjacent molecular sections of chain molecule

摘要

In regulating an electric current through a medium by applying a potential to two contact electrodes attached to the medium at two different points and changing at least one physical parameter of the medium, so that its conductivity changes, (a) the medium consists of chain molecule(s) with several molecular sections and (b) the parameter that inhibits internal motion of adjacent molecular sections is changed. Independent claims are also included for; (1) An apparatus for regulating electric current as above; and (2) Use of the medium as switchable electrical conductor, in which it has several molecular sections that rotate mutually with a rotation period smaller than the smallest oscillation period of the molecule.