Probing superexchange interaction in molecular magnets by spin-flip spectroscopy and microscopy.
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.
Chen
Xi
X
Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Fu
Ying-Shuang
YS
Ji
Shuai-Hua
SH
Zhang
Tong
T
Cheng
Peng
P
Ma
Xu-Cun
XC
Zou
Xiao-Long
XL
Duan
Wen-Hui
WH
Jia
Jin-Feng
JF
Xue
Qi-Kun
QK