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arXiv · 1005.4745

Spin- and energy-dependent tunneling through a single molecule with intramolecular spatial resolution

Jens Brede·Nicolae Atodiresei·Stefan Kuck·Predrag Lazic·Vasile Caciuc·Yoshitada Morikawa·Germar Hoffmann·Stefan Bluegel·Roland Wiesendanger
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Abstract

We investigate the spin- and energy dependent tunneling through a single organic molecule (CoPc) adsorbed on a ferromagnetic Fe thin film, spatially resolved by low-temperature spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. Interestingly, the metal ion as well as the organic ligand show a significant spin-dependence of tunneling current flow. State-of-the-art ab initio calculations including also van-der-Waals interactions reveal a strong hybridization of molecular orbitals and surface 3d states. The molecule is anionic due to a transfer of one electron, resulting in a non-magnetic (S= 0) state. Nevertheless, tunneling through the molecule exhibits a pronounced spin-dependence due to spin-split molecule-surface hybrid states.

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Jens Brede, Nicolae Atodiresei, Stefan Kuck, Predrag Lazic, Vasile Caciuc, Yoshitada Morikawa, Germar Hoffmann, Stefan Bluegel, Roland Wiesendanger. 2010-05-26. Spin- and energy-dependent tunneling through a single molecule with intramolecular spatial resolution. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.105.047204

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