Electrically controlled nonvolatile switching of single-atom magnetism in a Dy@C84 single-molecule transistor

Feng Wang; Wangqiang Shen; Yuan Shui; Jun Chen; Huaiqiang Wang; Rui Wang; Yuyuan Qin; Xuefeng Wang; Jianguo Wan; Minhao Zhang; Xing Lu; Tao Yang; Fengqi Song

arXiv · 2403.11137

Electrically controlled nonvolatile switching of single-atom magnetism in a Dy@C84 single-molecule transistor

Feng Wang·Wangqiang Shen·Yuan Shui·Jun Chen·Huaiqiang Wang·Rui Wang·Yuyuan Qin·Xuefeng Wang·Jianguo Wan·Minhao Zhang·Xing Lu·Tao Yang·Fengqi Song

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Abstract

Single-atom magnetism switching is a key technique towards the ultimate data storage density of computer hard disks and has been conceptually realized by leveraging the spin bistability of a magnetic atom under a scanning tunnelling microscope. However, it has rarely been applied to solid-state transistors, an advancement that would be highly desirable for enabling various applications. Here, we demonstrate realization of the electrically controlled Zeeman effect in Dy@C84 single-molecule transistors, thus revealing a transition in the magnetic moment from 3.8 {\mu}B to 5.1 {\mu}B for the ground-state GN at an electric field strength of 3-10 MV/cm. The consequent magnetoresistance significantly increases from 600% to 1100% at the resonant tunneling point. Density functional theory calculations further corroborate our realization of nonvolatile switching of single-atom magnetism, and the switching stability emanates from an energy barrier of 92 meV for atomic relaxation. These results highlight the potential of using endohedral metallofullerenes for high-temperature, high-stability, high-speed, and compact single-atom magnetic data storage.

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Feng Wang, Wangqiang Shen, Yuan Shui, Jun Chen, Huaiqiang Wang, Rui Wang, Yuyuan Qin, Xuefeng Wang, Jianguo Wan, Minhao Zhang, Xing Lu, Tao Yang, Fengqi Song. 2024-03-17. Electrically controlled nonvolatile switching of single-atom magnetism in a Dy@C84 single-molecule transistor. https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.11137

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