The NINT Molecular Clipping Overdrive Prototype

[dubhain]

This is so cool! The U of A is my old stomping ground as I studied Physical Chemistry (grad school) there. Kind of hard to believe that this kind of research was going on right across the quad from me (well maybe not at the time I was there but still).

Have you used any other forms of spectroscopy to study these molecular junctions other than Raman? Or were you mainly interested in the vibrational modes?

The demo from Nick was excellent! He did a great job of briefly explaining the science behind the project. The pedal sounds pretty rad too. I also was digging the sound from Molecular Junction B.

[phantasmagorovich]

Sweet demo there!

Sorry for being the class clown by the way. I just want to be a part of the cool kids but have nothing substantial to contribute.

[ajbergren]

This is so cool! The U of A is my old stomping ground as I studied Physical Chemistry (grad school) there. Kind of hard to believe that this kind of research was going on right across the quad from me (well maybe not at the time I was there but still).

Have you used any other forms of spectroscopy to study these molecular junctions other than Raman? Or were you mainly interested in the vibrational modes?

The demo from Nick was excellent! He did a great job of briefly explaining the science behind the project. The pedal sounds pretty rad too. I also was digging the sound from Molecular Junction B.

We have done all sorts of spectroscopy to characterize these- ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, ultraviolte-visible spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and some others. They all provide different information, and it has been important in learning how to make these and what is going on.

Vibrational modes are great, because this has allowed us to determine that the molecular structure is intact after fabrication processes.

More recently, we have begun to actually do photocurrent spectroscopy on the junctions themselves (by exposing the molecular junction to light and recording the resulting photocurrent), which tells us about all kinds of cool things going on!

[futuresailors]

Neat! That was a great demo/explanation.

Would varying the thickness within a junction distort (hehe) the conduction curve?

[ajbergren]

Neat! That was a great demo/explanation.

Would varying the thickness within a junction distort (hehe) the conduction curve?

Yeah, I can't thank Nick enough for the effort he put into this- really great job!

As for the distortion joke- Good one! And to answer it, yes, it would. The current is exponential with thickness, so it actually matters a lot!

[jubal81]

This is some really exciting stuff. I've built dozens of dirt boxes and now avoid diode clippers in favor of JFET and MOSFET designs because of the diode noise - especially in the decay. These molecular junctions might bring a whole new life to circuits I've passed on for that reason.
What are the chances hobbyists could get some to play with?

[ajbergren]

This is some really exciting stuff. I've built dozens of dirt boxes and now avoid diode clippers in favor of JFET and MOSFET designs because of the diode noise - especially in the decay. These molecular junctions might bring a whole new life to circuits I've passed on for that reason.
What are the chances hobbyists could get some to play with?

We're working on making them available. Not sure when that will be, but that it certainly the intention!

[Chankgeez]

... and molecular junctions will rain down like manna from scientific heaven.

[futuresailors]

And carbon nanotube guitars!

[goroth]

Nick is uploading another demo with less yak and more shred. Woooo!

[Timm Grimm]

Please, please, please make this bass friendly.

[breitnersn]

What?!?!

Congratulations, Ryan. This is probably the most interesting pedal project this year/in decades/ever. You really deserve that!

[KaosCill8r]

Sorry I didn't really understand the scientific jargon. I used to sleep through science class. Or throw stuff at the teacher while he was writing on the blackboard. But I love the concept. Glad to see science is being used for artistic benefit and not for the benefit of the military. Good work guys. But I'm sure they will find a use for it to better kill fuckers with.

[Ryan]

Please, please, please make this bass friendly.

Hey Tim! Don't you worry buddy, you'll be able to play bass through the production version. It's not gonna have a clean blend but I'm not gonna filter lows either, it'll be full frequency range. I've signed the license agreement and am working on the prototype for an early 2015 release.. I'll put some pics up soon...

i honestly thought the first post was a funny sci-fi intro to a new Dr Sci pedal, haha holy shit it wasn't!

Haha it does read like that! Truth being wilder than fiction hey...

What?!?!

Congratulations, Ryan. This is probably the most interesting pedal project this year/in decades/ever. You really deserve that!

Aww shucks, thanks Franz!

I've got the prototype box layout ready, just need to make a pcb layout and the first production pedal with a molecular junction will be borned soon! Dr. Adam came up with a great name for it, it shall be called...

The Heisenberg NanoDrive

Double entendre meaning there, one is for the character on Breaking Bad, basically a chemistry tv show. And the other is for the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, a fundamental of quantum physics. Cool hey!

[goroth]

I'm not sure if that's a good name Ryan.