title: Giant single-molecule anisotropic magnetoresistance at room temperature.
abstract: We report an electrochemically assisted jump-to-contact scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) break junction approach to create reproducible and well-defined single-molecule spintronic junctions. The STM break junction is equipped with an external magnetic field either parallel or perpendicular to the electron transport direction. The conductance of Fe-terephthalic acid (TPA)-Fe single-molecule junctions is measured and a giant single-molecule tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (T-AMR) up to 53% is observed at room temperature. Theoretical calculations based on first-principles quantum simulations show that the observed AMR of Fe-TPA-Fe junctions originates from electronic coupling at the TPA-Fe interfaces modified by the magnetic orientation of the Fe electrodes with respect to the direction of current flow. The present study highlights new opportunities for obtaining detailed understanding of mechanisms of charge and spin transport in molecular junctions and the role of interfaces in determining the MR of single-molecule junctions.
authors.forename: Ji-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: ‡Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Lin
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Zhao-Bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: §Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Reactive Chemistry on Solid Surfaces, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Shun
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Song-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: ‡Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: #HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Walther
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwarzacher
authors.affiliation: ∇The Chemistry Department, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 7ZD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Bing-Wei
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Mao