Emergent magnetism as a cooperative effect of interactions and reservoir

TL;DR

This paper proposes a minimal model showing how local symmetry breaking in closed shell molecules, influenced by interactions and reservoirs, can induce and sustain magnetic moments, shedding light on molecular magnetism mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical model explaining how interactions and reservoirs can break time-reversal symmetry and generate magnetic moments in closed shell structures.

Findings

Localized magnetic moments can be generated and maintained.

Symmetry breaking arises from combined internal and external interactions.

Results provide insights into molecular magnetic properties.

Abstract

Closed shell molecular structures are under normal conditions time-reversal invariant. Experimental evidences point, however, towards that this invariance may be locally violated when the structure is in contact with a particle reservoir. The mechanisms behind such local symmetry breaking are not clear by any means. By considering a minimal model for a closed shell structure, here we propose that the symmetry breaking may result from a combination of internal and/or external interactions. It is shown that a magnetic moment of a localized electron level can be generated and maintained under the influence of such combination. The theoretical results should cast new light on the mechanisms that may form magnetic properties in molecular compounds.