Spin Manipulation by Creation of Single-Molecule Radical Cations

Abstract

All-trans-retinoic acid (ReA), a closed-shell organic molecule comprising only C, H, and O atoms, is investigated on a Au(111) substrate using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. In dense arrays single ReA molecules are switched to a number of states, three of which carry a localized spin as evidenced by conductance spectroscopy in high magnetic fields. The spin of a single molecule may be reversibly switched on and off without affecting its neighbors. We suggest that ReA on Au is readily converted to a radical by the abstraction of an electron.

5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

References in corpus (8)

• Density-functional tight-binding for beginners
• Electronic and magnetic properties of molecule-metal interfaces: transition metal phthalocyanines adsorbed on Ag(100)
• Spin Excitations and Correlations in Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy
• Long-range Kondo signature of a single magnetic impurity
• Reversible Single Spin Control of Individual Magnetic Molecule by Hydrogen Atom Adsorption
• Splitting of the Kondo resonance in anisotropic magnetic impurities on surfaces
• The Spin-Polarization of the Split Kondo State
• Mapping Itinerant Electrons around Kondo Impurities

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• Dynamical exchange and phase induced switching of a localized molecular spin
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• From Solution to Surface: Persistence of the Diradical Character of a Diindenoanthracene Derivative on a Metallic Substrate