Inducing time-dependent potentials at nanoscale

We discuss a mechanism that can generate a time-dependent potential at the nanoscale. The elements required for the formation of such a potential are a molecule with a nonvanishing dipole moment, a cylindrical metallic or semimetallic nanowire, and the always present environmental fluctuations. When a molecule approaches the vicinity of a metallic/semimetallic cylinder (tube), it induces on the surface of the tube an electrostatic potential due to dipole-dipole interactions. Moreover, the molecule is also subject to fluctuations, which vary the relative position of the molecule with respect to the surface of the tube over time. This combination creates a time-dependent force field in the vicinity of the tube's surface as well as at the position of the dipole. While we use a carbon nanotube to represent a nanowire for the purposes of discussion, the present model can be applied to any large molecule with cylindrical symmetry.