title: Probing superexchange interaction in molecular magnets by spin-flip spectroscopy and microscopy.
abstract: The superexchange mechanism in cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) thin films was studied by a low temperature scanning tunneling microscope. The CoPc molecules were found to form one-dimensional antiferromagnetic chains in the film. Collective spin excitations in individual molecular chains were measured with spin-flip associated inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy. By spatially mapping the spin-flipping channels with submolecular precision, we are able to explicitly identify the specific molecular orbitals that mediate the superexchange interaction between molecules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying-Shuang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Shuai-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Xu-Cun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xiao-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Wen-Hui
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Jin-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Qi-Kun
authors.initials: QK
authors.lastname: Xue