Observation and electric current control of a local spin in a single-molecule magnet

Tadahiro Komeda (), Hironari Isshiki, Jie Liu, Yan-Feng Zhang, Nicolás Lorente, Keiichi Katoh, Brian K. Breedlove and Masahiro Yamashita ()
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Tadahiro Komeda: Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM, Tagen), Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-0877, Japan.
Hironari Isshiki: Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM, Tagen), Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-0877, Japan.
Jie Liu: Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM, Tagen), Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-0877, Japan.
Yan-Feng Zhang: Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM, Tagen), Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-0877, Japan.
Nicolás Lorente: Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM, Tagen), Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-0877, Japan.
Keiichi Katoh: Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
Brian K. Breedlove: Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
Masahiro Yamashita: Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.

Nature Communications, 2011, vol. 2, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract In molecular spintronics, the spin state of a molecule may be switched on and off by changing the molecular structure. Here, we switch on and off the molecular spin of a double-decker bis(phthalocyaninato)terbium(III) complex (TbPc2) adsorbed on an Au(111) surface by applying an electric current via a scanning tunnelling microscope. The dI/dV curve of the tunnelling current recorded onto a TbPc2 molecule shows a Kondo peak, the origin of which is an unpaired spin of a π-orbital of a phthalocyaninato (Pc) ligand. By applying controlled current pulses, we could rotate the upper Pc ligand in TbPc2, leading to the disappearance and reappearance of the Kondo resonance. The rotation shifts the molecular frontier-orbital energies, quenching the π-electron spin. Reversible switching between two stable ligand orientations by applying a current pulse should make it possible to code information at the single-molecule level.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1210

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