title: Magnetic bistability in a submonolayer of sublimated Fe4 single-molecule magnets.
abstract: We demonstrate that Fe4 molecules can be deposited on gold by thermal sublimation in ultra-high vacuum with retention of single molecule magnet behavior. A magnetic hysteresis comparable to that found in bulk samples is indeed observed when a submonolayer film is studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Scanning tunneling microscopy evidences that Fe4 molecules are assembled in a two-dimensional lattice with short-range hexagonal order and coexist with a smaller contaminant. The presence of intact Fe4 molecules and the retention of their bistable magnetic behavior on the gold surface are supported by density functional theory calculations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff" and INSTM Research Unit, University of Florence , 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malavolti
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lanzilotto
authors.forename: Silviya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ninova
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poggini
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cimatti
authors.forename: Brunetto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cortigiani
authors.forename: Ludovica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Margheriti
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chiappe
authors.forename: Edwige
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sainctavit
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Totti
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cornia
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mannini
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sessoli
keywords: Single molecule magnet; X-ray magnetic circular dichroism; density functional theory; scanning tunneling microscopy