Electrical Detection of Magnetization Switching in Single-Molecule Magnets

TL;DR

This study demonstrates electrical detection of magnetization switching in single-molecule magnets up to 70 K using a graphene-based spin valve, enabling characterization of quantum properties at higher temperatures.

Contribution

It introduces a method for electrical detection of SMM magnetization switching at elevated temperatures, expanding potential for quantum device applications.

Findings

Electrical detection of magnetization switching up to 70 K.

Exchange interactions and intermolecular interactions can be directly measured.

Potential for characterizing quantum properties of SMMs across a wide temperature range.

Abstract

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) with chemically tailorable properties are potential building blocks for quantum computing, high-density magnetic memory, and spintronics.1 2 3,4 These applications require isolated or few molecules on substrates, but studies of SMMs have mainly focused on bulk crystals. Moreover, fabrication of SMM-based devices and electrical detection of the SMM magnetic state are still coveted milestones that have so far been achieved mainly for double-decker rare-earth phthalocyanines at temperatures below 1 K.5-8 Here we demonstrate electrical detection of magnetization switching for a modification of the archetypal SMM Mn12, up to 70 K, based on the supramolecular spin valve effect5 with graphene quantum dots9. Notably, the exchange interaction between the molecules and the graphene, as well as the dot-mediated intermolecular interaction, can be directly extracted from the electrical response, opening the way to an effective characterization of the quantum properties of different types of SMMs in a wide temperature range.