Transient photocurrent in molecular junctions: Singlet switching on and triplet blocking

The kinetic approach adapted to describe charge transmission in molecular junctions, is used for the analysis of the photocurrent under conditions of moderate light intensity of the photochromic molecule. In the framework of the HOMO-LUMO model for the single electron molecular states, the analytic expressions describing the temporary behavior of the transient and steady state sequential (hopping) as well as direct (tunnel) current components have been derived. The conditions at which the current components achieve their maximal values are indicated. It is shown that if the rates of charge transmission in the unbiased molecular diode are much lower than the intramolecular singlet-singlet excitation/de-excitation rate, and the threefold degenerated triplet excited state of the molecule behaves like a trap blocking the charge transmission, a possibility of a large peak-like transient switch-on photocurrent arises. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.