Quantized Conductance of a Single Magnetic Atom

TL;DR

This study investigates the quantized conductance of a single magnetic Co atom contacted by different metallic tips, revealing conductance quantization and potential spin polarization effects at the atomic scale.

Contribution

It demonstrates quantized conductance in a single magnetic atom with different electrode materials, highlighting spin-dependent transport phenomena.

Findings

Conductance of 2e^2/h with non-magnetic electrodes.

Conductance of e^2/h with ferromagnetic electrodes.

Potential evidence of fully spin-polarized transport.

Abstract

A single Co atom adsorbed on Cu(111) or on ferromagnetic Co islands is contacted with non-magnetic W or ferromagnetic Ni tips in a scanning tunneling microscope. When the Co atom bridges two non-magnetic electrodes conductances of 2e^2/h are found. With two ferromagnetic electrodes a conductance of e^2/h is observed which may indicate fully spin-polarized transport.