Magnetically-Tuned Kondo Effect in a Molecular Double Quantum Dot: Role of the Anisotropic Exchange

TL;DR

This paper explores the singlet-triplet Kondo effect in a molecular junction, examining how magnetic field and spin anisotropy influence conductance, with theoretical and experimental insights into low energy scales and anomalous behaviors.

Contribution

It provides a combined theoretical and experimental analysis of the singlet-triplet Kondo effect, highlighting the role of anisotropic exchange and explaining anomalous conductance measurements.

Findings

Kondo temperature and exchange splitting strongly influence conductance.

Weak spin anisotropy lowers Kondo plateaus and alters temperature dependence.

Coexistence of spin-polarization and Kondo screening observed.

Abstract

We investigate theoretically and experimentally the singlet-triplet Kondo effect induced by a magnetic field in a molecular junction. Temperature dependent conductance, $G(T)$, is calculated by the numerical renormalization group, showing a strong imprint of the relevant low energy scales, such as the Kondo temperature, exchange and singlet-triplet splitting. We demonstrate the stability of the singlet-triplet Kondo effect against weak spin anisotropy, modeled by an anisotropic exchange. Moderate spin anisotropy manifests itself by lowering the Kondo plateaus, causing the $G(T)$ to deviate from a standard temperature dependence, expected for a spin-half Kondo effect. We propose this scenario as an explanation for anomalous $G(T)$, measured in an organic diradical molecule coupled to gold contacts. We uncover certain new aspects of the singlet-triplet Kondo effect, such as coexistence of spin-polarization on the molecule with Kondo screening and non-perturbative parametric dependence of an effective magnetic field induced by the leads.