A discrete finite-dimensional phase space approach for Fe8 magnetic clusters: characterizing tunneling efects via Wigner and Husimi functions

TL;DR

This paper employs a discrete quantum phase space approach using Wigner and Husimi functions to analyze spin tunneling in Fe8 magnetic clusters, revealing dynamic and entropic aspects of the tunneling process.

Contribution

It introduces a novel discrete phase space formalism to characterize spin tunneling in magnetic clusters using Wigner and Husimi functions.

Findings

Numerical time evolution reveals coherent oscillations related to tunneling.

Entropy functional from Husimi distribution characterizes tunneling.

External magnetic field influences tunneling dynamics.

Abstract

Discrete quantum phase space formalism is used to discuss some basic aspects of the spin tunneling occurring in Fe8 magnetic cluster by means of Wigner functions as well as Husimi distributions. Those functions were obtained for sharp angle states and symmetric combinations of the lowest energy doublet with the application of an external magnetic field. The time evolution of those functions carried out numerically allows one to extract valuable information about the dynamics of the states under consideration, in particular, the coherent oscillations associated with the spin tunneling. It is also shown that an entropy functional constructed out of the discrete Husimi distribution function allows to characterize the spin tunneling.