Tunnelling spectra of individual magnetic endofullerene molecules

Abstract

The manipulation of single magnetic molecules may enable new strategies for high-density information storage and quantum-state control. However, progress in these areas depends on developing techniques for addressing individual molecules and controlling their spin. Here, we report success in making electrical contact to individual magnetic N@C(60) molecules and measuring spin excitations in their electron tunnelling spectra. We verify that the molecules remain magnetic by observing a transition as a function of magnetic field that changes the spin quantum number and also the existence of non-equilibrium tunnelling originating from low-energy excited states. From the tunnelling spectra, we identify the charge and spin states of the molecule. The measured spectra can be reproduced theoretically by accounting for the exchange interaction between the nitrogen spin and electron(s) on the C(60) cage.

Optical vortex driven charge current loop and optomagnetism in fullerenes

“…N@C 60 [3]. As our ab-initio calculations explicitly demonstrate N@C 60 [3] possess indeed SAMOs that we may employ for magnetic pulse generation (cf. supplementary materials).…”

“…Here we exploit these properties of SAMOs for photo-generating surface charge current loops, and hence internal, nanoscale magnetic field pulses which act on encapsulated magnetic moments, e.g. N@C 60 [3]. As our ab-initio calculations explicitly demonstrate N@C 60 [3] possess indeed SAMOs that we may employ for magnetic pulse generation (cf.…”

Electrical control over the Fe(II) spin crossover in a single molecule: Theory and experiment

“…2,5 Interestingly, at low temperatures these molecular junctions often exhibit Coulomb-blockade physics, which allows for a detailed analysis of spectroscopic features. For example, vibrational modes of the molecule 5,16 or magnetic excitations [17][18][19][20] have been probed for different charge states. In addition to these generic features, molecules tend to have symmetries that are usually accompanied with spectral degeneracies which in turn can give rise to certain instabilities.…”

Molecular Nanoelectronics

“…Using such hybrid silicon-molecule transistor configuration, it was recently shown that it is possible to electrostatically modulate the current through the molecule by gating the molecular orbital with the underneath Si gate [154]. This hybrid silicon-molecule transistor configuration is also suitable to study and control the spin states and spin transport through molecules [151,[155][156][157][158].…”