arXiv · 1611.10190
Magnetic anisotropy in surface-supported single-ion lanthanide complexes
Abstract
Single-ion lanthanide-organic complexes can provide stable magnetic moments with well-defined orientation for spintronic applications on the atomic level. Here, we show by a combined experimental approach of scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy that dysprosium-tris(1,1,1-trifluoro-4-(2-thienyl)-2,4butanedionate) (Dy(tta)$_3$) complexes deposited on a Au(111) surface undergo a molecular distortion, resulting in distinct crystal field symmetry imposed on the Dy ion. This leads to an easy-axis magnetization direction in the ligand plane. Furthermore, we show that tunneling electrons hardly couple to the spin excitations, which we ascribe to the shielded nature of the $4f$ electrons.
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Paul Stoll, Matthias Bernien, Daniela Rolf, Fabian Nickel, Qingyu Xu, Claudia Hartmann, Tobias R. Umbach, Jens Kopprasch, Janina N. Ladenthin, Enrico Schierle, Eugen Weschke, Constantin Czekelius, Wolfgang Kuch, Katharina J. Franke. 2016-11-30. Magnetic anisotropy in surface-supported single-ion lanthanide complexes. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.94.224426
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