188宝金博页面版

Torque-controlled stochastic switching in single-molecule devicesXinyue Chang 1,§ , Xiao Wei 1,§ , Cong Zhao 1 , Yingbo Tang 1 , Jie Guo     1  ? , Ping Duan     2  ? , Jinying Wang     1  ? ,Chuancheng Jia     1  ? , and Xuefeng Guo 1,31 Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory ofMicro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China2 College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials ofGuangdong Province, Shantou University, 243 Daxue Road, Shantou 515063, China3 Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering,Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China§ Xinyue Chang and Xiao Wei contributed equally to this work.  Cite this article: Nano Research, 2026, 19, 94908768. https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2026.94908768  ABSTRACT: Probabilistic  switching  devices,  as  an  emergingclass of electronic components enabling stochastic transitionsbetween  binary  states,  offer  unique  prospects  for  stochasticcomputing  tasks  including  true  random  number  generation,Monte Carlo simulation, and Bayesian inference. In this study,leveraging  the  inherent  Boltzmann-distributed  output  ofmolecular  devices  at  thermal  equilibrium  and  their  highsensitivity to external fields, a torque-controlled single-moleculestochastic  switch  is  demonstrated  at  room  temperature.  Thisdevice  comprises  an  aminoalkyl-functionalized  zinc  complexwith an orthogonal dipole moment, which is covalently bridgedbetween graphene electrodes. Through synergistic coupling ofmolecular dipole with an external electric field, an asymmetrictorque  is  induced,  driving  controlled  conformational  changesunder steric confinement and enabling programmable stochastic switching between high- and low-conductance states. Theoutput  probability  is  precisely  tunable  via  bias  voltage  modulation,  exhibiting  the  characteristic  sigmoidal  response  ofprobabilistic devices. Furthermore, temperature-dependent experiments map the free-energy landscape of the molecularprobabilistic switch. This insight facilitates the rational design of stable and controllable probabilistic devices working underambient conditions.KEYWORDS: single-molecule device, stochastic switch, graphene, zinc complexes    1    IntroductionAmid the rapid advancement of information technology, stochasticswitching devices with controllable randomness and stableswitching behaviors have emerged as highly promising candidatesfor advanced applications, including probabilistic neural networks[1, 2], true random number generation [3], and hardware-basedcombinatorial optimization solvers [4−6]. In traditional electronicsystems, magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) exhibit stochasticswitching driven by spin-polarized current-induced magnetizationreversal, highlighting their unique advantages in spintronics[4, 7, 8]. Concurrently, optical probabilistic devices leveragequantum fluctuations coupled with bias fields in multistable opticalsystems to realize probability distribution control, therebyshowcasing potential for complex probabilistic computing [9].Nevertheless, these systems still face challenges, including asignificant increase in system complexity stemming from multi-component collaboration and limitations on device-level controlprecision imposed by process fluctuations [10−12]. Therefore, theexploration of novel physical mechanisms and device architecturesto enable efficient and controllable stochastic switching at themolecular or even atomic scale represents a highly promisingdirection for future applications.  Received: March 3, 2026; Revised: April 16, 2026Accepted: April 24, 2026? Address correspondence to Jie Guo, gj@nankai.edu.cn; Ping Duan,duanping@stu.edu.cn; Jinying Wang, wangjynk@nankai.edu.cn;Chuancheng Jia, jiacc@nankai.edu.cn  Open Access Research Article 94908768 (1 of 8) Nano Research, 2026, 19, 94908768