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Molecular-scale components are expected to be central to nanoscale electronicdevices. While molecular-scale switching has been reported in atomic quantumpoint contacts, single-molecule junctions provide the additional flexibility oftuning the on/off conductance states through molecular design. Thus far,switching in single-molecule junctions has been attributed to changes in theconformation or charge state of the molecule. Here, we demonstrate reversiblebinary switching in a single-molecule junction by mechanical control of themetal-molecule contact geometry. We show that 4,4'-bipyridine-goldsingle-molecule junctions can be reversibly switched between two conductancestates through repeated junction elongation and compression. Usingfirst-principles calculations, we attribute the different measured conductancestates to distinct contact geometries at the flexible but stable N-Au bond:conductance is low when the N-Au bond is perpendicular to the conductingpi-system, and high otherwise. This switching mechanism, inherent to thepyridine-gold link, could form the basis of a new class ofmechanically-activated single-molecule switches.

Mechanically-Controlled Binary Conductance Switching of a Single-Molecule Junction