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arXiv · 1304.2826

Magnetization and spin dynamics of the spin S=1/2 hourglass nanomagnet Cu5(OH)2(NIPA)4*10H2O

R. Nath·A. A. Tsirlin·P. Khuntia·O. Janson·T. Foerster·M. Padmanabhan·J. Li·Yu. Skourski·M. Baenitz·H. Rosner·I. Rousochatzakis
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Abstract

We report a combined experimental and theoretical study of the spin S=1/2 nanomagnet Cu5(OH)2(NIPA)4*10H2O (Cu5-NIPA). Using thermodynamic, electron spin resonance and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance measurements on one hand, and ab initio density-functional band-structure calculations, exact diagonalizations and a strong coupling theory on the other, we derive a microscopic magnetic model of Cu5-NIPA and characterize the spin dynamics of this system. The elementary five-fold Cu2+ unit features an hourglass structure of two corner-sharing scalene triangles related by inversion symmetry. Our microscopic Heisenberg model comprises one ferromagnetic and two antiferromagnetic exchange couplings in each triangle, stabilizing a single spin S=1/2 doublet ground state (GS), with an exactly vanishing zero-field splitting (by Kramer's theorem), and a very large excitation gap of \Delta~68 K. Thus, Cu5-NIPA is a good candidate for achieving long electronic spin relaxation (T1) and coherence (T2) times at low temperatures, in analogy to other nanomagnets with low-spin GS's. Of particular interest is the strongly inhomogeneous distribution of the GS magnetic moment over the five Cu2+ spins. This is a purely quantum-mechanical effect since, despite the non-frustrated nature of the magnetic couplings, the GS is far from the classical collinear ferrimagnetic configuration. Finally, Cu5-NIPA is a rare example of a S=1/2 nanomagnet showing an enhancement in the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 at intermediate temperatures.

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R. Nath, A. A. Tsirlin, P. Khuntia, O. Janson, T. Foerster, M. Padmanabhan, J. Li, Yu. Skourski, M. Baenitz, H. Rosner, I. Rousochatzakis. 2013-04-10. Magnetization and spin dynamics of the spin S=1/2 hourglass nanomagnet Cu5(OH)2(NIPA)4*10H2O. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.87.214417

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