Radio Frequency Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy for Single-Molecule Spin Resonance

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Abstract

We probe nuclear and electron spins in a single molecule even beyond the electromagnetic dipole selection rules, at readily accessible magnetic fields (few mT) and temperatures (5 K) by resonant radio- frequency current from a scanning tunneling microscope. We achieve subnanometer spatial resolution combined with single-spin sensitivity, representing a 10 orders of magnitude improvement compared to existing magnetic resonance techniques. We demonstrate the successful resonant spectroscopy of the complete manifold of nuclear and electronic magnetic transitions of up to ΔI(z) = +/- 3 and ΔJ(z) = +/- 12 of single quantum spins in a single molecule. Our method of resonant radio-frequency scanning tunneling spectroscopy offers, atom-by-atom, unprecedented analytical power and spin control with an impact on diverse fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology
Original languageEnglish
Article number133001
Pages (from-to)133001
Number of pages5
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume113
Issue number13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Fields of science

  • 210006 Nanotechnology
  • 103 Physics, Astronomy
  • 103011 Semiconductor physics
  • 103018 Materials physics
  • 202032 Photovoltaics
  • 103009 Solid state physics
  • 103017 Magnetism

JKU Focus areas

  • Engineering and Natural Sciences (in general)

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