Spin dynamics of heterometallic Cr7M wheels (M = Mn, Zn, Ni) probed by inelastic neutron scattering

TL;DR

This study uses inelastic neutron scattering to analyze the spin dynamics of heterometallic Cr7M rings, revealing the importance of spin multiplet mixing and potential for observing quantum effects.

Contribution

It provides detailed insights into the spin wavefunctions and effects of multiplet mixing in heterometallic Cr7M rings, highlighting their suitability for quantum studies.

Findings

Spin multiplet mixing significantly affects magnetic excitations.

First excited spin states can cross the ground state under magnetic fields.

Heterometallic Cr7M rings are promising for quantum effect observations.

Abstract

Inelastic neutron scattering has been applied to the study of the spin dynamics of Cr-based antiferromagnetic octanuclear rings where a finite total spin of the ground state is obtained by substituting one Cr(III) ion (s = 3/2) with Zn (s = 0), Mn (s = 5/2) or Ni (s = 1) di-cations. Energy and intensity measurements for several intra-multiplet and inter-multiplet magnetic excitations allow us to determine the spin wavefunctions of the investigated clusters. Effects due to the mixing of different spin multiplets have been considered. Such effects proved to be important to correctly reproduce the energy and intensity of magnetic excitations in the neutron spectra. On the contrary to what is observed for the parent homonuclear Cr8 ring, the symmetry of the first excited spin states is such that anticrossing conditions with the ground state can be realized in the presence of an external magnetic field. Heterometallic Cr7M wheels are therefore good candidates for macroscopic observations of quantum effects.