Molecule-assisted ferromagnetic atomic chain formation

Abstract

One dimensional systems strongly enhance the quantum character of electron transport. Such systems can be realized in 5d transition metals Au, Pt and Ir, in the form of suspended monatomic chains between bulk leads. Atomic chains between ferromagnetic leads would open up many perspectives in the context of spin-dependent transport and spintronics, but the evidence suggests that for pure metals only the mentioned three 5d metals are susceptible to chain formation. It has been argued that the stability of atomic chains made up from ferromagnetic metals is compromised by the same exchange interaction that produces the local moments. Here we demonstrate that magnetic atomic chains can be induced to form in break junctions under the influence of light molecules. Explicitly, we find deuterium assisted chain formation in the 3d ferromagnetic transition metals Fe and Ni. Chain lengths up to eight atoms are formed upon stretching the ferromagnetic atomic contact in deuterium atmosphere at cryogenic temperatures. From differential conductance spectra vibronic states of D${}_2$ can be identified, confirming the presence of deuterium in the atomic chains.

15 pages, 4 figures and Supplementary information(3 pages and 3 figures)

References in corpus (6)

• Full counting statistics of super-Poissonian shot noise in multi-level quantum dots
• Electron-vibration interaction in single-molecule junctions: from contact to tunneling regime
• The Kondo effect in ferromagnetic atomic contacts
• Vibrationally Induced Two-Level Systems in Single-Molecule Junctions
• Pulling Platinum Atomic Chains by Carbon Monoxide Molecules
• Mechanical, Electrical, and Magnetic Properties of Ni Nanocontacts

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Spin dependent transmission of Nickelocene-Cu contacts probed with shot noise
• Highly conductive and complete spin filtering of nickel atomic contacts in a nitrogen atmosphere
• Conductance channels of a platform molecule on Au(111) probed with shot noise
• Shot noise as a probe of spin-correlated transport through single atoms
• Unconventional Electromechanical Response in Ferrocene Assisted Gold Atomic Chain