Spin diffusion and magnetic eigenoscillations confined to single molecular layers in the organic conductors kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2Cu[N(CN)_2X (X=Cl, Br)

TL;DR

This study reveals highly anisotropic spin transport confined to single molecular layers in organic conductors, with distinct magnetic behaviors in metallic and insulating phases, using resonance techniques.

Contribution

It demonstrates that spin diffusion in these layered compounds is confined within individual molecular layers and characterizes magnetic excitations in different phases.

Findings

Spin diffusion is confined to single molecular layers during metallic state.

Four AFMR modes are observed and calculated in the insulating phase.

Inter-plane exchange field is significantly weaker than intra-layer exchange field.

Abstract

The layered organic compounds, kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2Cu[N(CN)_2X (X=Cl, Br) are metals at ambient temperatures. At low temperatures, the Cl compound is a weakly ferromagnetic Mott insulator while the isostructural Br compound is a superconductor. We find by conduction electron spin resonance (CESR) and antiferromagnetic resonance (AFMR) an extreme anisotropy of spin transport and magnetic interactions in these materials. In the metallic state spin diffusion is confined to single molecular layers within the spin lifetime of 10^-9 s. Electrons diffuse several hundreds of nm without hopping to the next molecular layer. In the magnetically ordered insulating phase of the Cl compound we observe and calculate the four AFMR modes of the weakly coupled single molecular layers. The inter-plane exchange field is comparable or less than the typically 1 mT dipolar field and almost 10^6 times less than the intra-layer exchange field.