Recently there has been considerable interest in developing nanometer- and sub-nanometer-scale electronic devices. Of particular interest in this regard is whether individual molecules or molecular complexes can be employed as electronic device elements. Aviram et al. have reported switching and rectification in an organic thin film. More recently, Potember et al. have shown a field-induced conductance transition on a 500 nm scale, but did not demonstrate local reversibility of the transition. The reverse transition was induced only by application of a broad laser pulse or heat. We have observed and replicated reversible conductance transitions in a fully-organic crystalline complex, on a scale close to the dimensions of the unit cell.

A crystalline thin-film organic complex of 3-nitrobenzal malononitrile and 1,4-phenylenediamine (NBMN-pDA), exhibits reversible conductance transitions on the sub-nanometer scale when exposed to local electric field pulses from an STM tip.