Local spin moment distribution in antiferromagnetic molecular rings probed by NMR

The NMR spectra of 19F and 53Cr have been obtained at low temperatures in a heterometallic substituted antiferromagnetic (AF) ring Cr7Cd with an S=3/2 ground state and compared with the spectra in a homometallic Cr8 AF ring with an S=0 ground state. From the analysis of the spectra one can derive directly model independent values of the staggered nonuniform distribution of the local moment in the heterometallic ring Cr7Cd. The experimental values are found to be in excellent agreement with the theoretical values calculated on the basis of an effective spin Hamiltonian which includes crystal field effects.     

Optical and magnetic characterisation of Co3+ and Ni3+ in LaAlO3: interplay between the spin state and Jahn-Teller effect

The coordination, the electronic structures and the spin of the ground state of Ni(3+) (3d(7)) and Co(3+) (3d(6)) introduced as impurities in LaAlO(3) are investigated through optical spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. The unusual trivalent valence state in both transition-metal ions was stabilised via a sol-gel process followed by high oxygen pressure treatments. We show that the crystal-field strength at the nearly O(h) transition-metal site in LaAlO(3) locates Ni(3+) and Co(3+) near the spin state crossover, yielding a low-spin ground state in both cases. We analyse how the interplay between the Jahn-Teller (JT) effect and the spin state affects the magnetic moment of the ion and its temperature dependence. The optical spectra reveal a JT effect associated with a low-spin ground state in Ni(3+) and with a thermally populated high-spin low-lying first excited state in Co(3+). The corresponding JT distortions are derived from structural correlations. We conclude that the JT effect is unable to stabilise the intermediate spin state in Co(3+). A low-spin ground state in thermal equilibrium with a high-spin low-lying first excited state is detected in diluted Co(3+)-doped LaAlO(3). These results are compared with those obtained in the parent pure compounds LaNiO(3) and LaCoO(3).     

Itinerant Magnets on a Triangular Cu(111) Lattice

We investigate complex spin structures of frustrated two-dimensional Cr, Mn, and Fe monolayer magnets on a triangular lattice provided by the Cu(111) substrate. First we establish a zero-temperature phase diagram of possible spin structures on the basis of the classical Heisenberg model up to the third-nearest neighbor exchange interaction. Second we carried out first-principles total energy calculations on the basis of the vector-spin density formulation of the density functional theory using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) method in film geometry for a set of complex non-collinear spin structures. We found, the ground state of Fe is ferromagnetic, Cr exhibits a coplanar, two-dimensional non-collinear 120 Néel state and Mn a three-dimensional non-collinear ground state, the 3Q-state. Incommensurate spin-spiral states are expected for a FeMn alloy on Cu(111). We employ the constrained local moment method to estimate the exchange parameters of the model Hamiltonians. We show that for Mn higher-order spin interactions are the origin of the 3Q-state for Mn. The combination of ab initio calculations and model Hamiltonians provides a powerful tool to investigate the magnetic structures of complex magnetic systems.     

Quasiparticle states at a d-wave vortex core in high- T(c) superconductors: induction of local spin density wave order

The local density of states (LDOS) at the vortex lattice cores in a high- T(c) superconductor is studied by using a self-consistent mean-field theory including interactions for both antiferromagnetism (AF) and d-wave superconductivity (DSC). In a zero-field optimally doped sample the AF order is completely suppressed while DSC prevails. In the mixed state, we show that the local AF-like spin density wave order appears near the vortex core and acts as an effective local magnetic field on electrons via Zeeman coupling. As a result, the LDOS at the core exhibits a double-peak structure near the Fermi level that is in good agreement with recent scanning tunneling microscopy observations.     

(CoMn)n(n=1~5)合金团簇的结构和磁性

采用密度泛函理论中的局域自旋密度近似和广义梯度近似对(CoMn)n(n=1～5)团簇的几何构型进行优化、能量、频率和磁性计算,确定了团簇的基态,对其基态的磁性和电子结构进行了系统研究,并与相对应的一元团簇进行了结构和磁性比较.研究表明,两种方法确定的基态构型基本一致,当n=1～4时,等比CoMn二元合金团簇的几何形状仍与一元团簇相同;(CoMn)3和(CoMn)4团簇出现了磁性双稳态,显示铁磁性和反铁磁性耦合;二元CoMn合金团簇中Co、Mn原子磁性仍能保持一元Co、Mn团簇基态的磁性.     

Phase transitions and crystal-field and exchange interactions in TbFe3(BO3)4 as seen via optical spectroscopy

High-resolution polarized broadband (1800-23?000?cm(-1)) optical absorption spectra of Tb(3+) in TbFe(3)(BO(3))(4) single crystals are studied between room temperature and 4.2?K. The spectral signatures of the structural (R32-P3(1)21, T(S )?=?192?K) and magnetic (T(N )?=?41?K) phase transitions are found and analyzed. Energies and symmetries of the Tb(3+) crystal-field (CF) levels were determined for both the high-temperature R32 and the low-temperature P3(1)21 structures of TbFe(3)(BO(3))(4) and compared with the calculated ones. It follows unambiguously from the spectral data that the ground state is the Γ(1)?+?Γ(2) quasi-doublet of the local D(3) point symmetry group for Tb(3+) in the R32 high-temperature structure. The CF calculations revealed the CF parameters and wavefunctions for Tb(3+) in TbFe(3)(BO(3))(4). The value of the Tb-Fe exchange integral and of the effective magnetic field created by the ordered Fe subsystem were estimated as J(fd)?=?0.26?K and B(eff)?=?3.92?T, using the observed splitting Δ?=?32?cm(-1) of the Tb(3+) ground quasi-doublet at the temperature 5?K. The reliability of the obtained parameters was proven by modeling the literature data on the magnetic susceptibility of TbFe(3)(BO(3))(4). Lattice distortions below T(S) were evidenced by the observed changes of probabilities of the forced electric dipole transitions of Tb(3+).     

A combined experimental and theoretical investigation on the oxygenation of organic sulfides by oxo(salen)chromium(V) ion

The mechanism of oxygenation of organic sulfide by oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes has been studied experimentally and by the density functional theory (DFT) method. Spectral studies show DMSO ligands bind with the Cr center of oxidant and the adduct formed was responsible for the oxygenation reaction. The reaction was first order with respect to oxidant and substrate. Hammett plot shows the formation of positive charge over sulfur atom and the development of negative charge over the oxidant in the transition state (TS). For the substrate ρ values are in the range from ?1.5 to ?1.8. The geometry has been correctly predicted by the B3LYP function, and it gives better results for spin states, harmonic frequencies, and thermodynamic energies for the system. DFT results indicate the existence of oxo(salen)chromium(V) and Cr(III)–salen at doublet and quartet as ground state, respectively. Binding of donor ligand weakens the Cr? O bond. TS structures show an increase in the negative charge and spin density over Cr atom indicating the involvement of spin inversion and radical character. The low activation energy and high free energy change are responsible for the enhancement of the reaction rate and product yield in the presence of DMSO donor ligand, while the rebound mechanism and the direction of substrate approach perpendicular to the salen plane are responsible for their higher selectivity. From this combined study, a mechanism involving consecutive two‐electron transfer from the oxo(salen)chromium(V) ion to the electron‐rich sulfur atom is proposed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantum oscillations of the total spin in a heterometallic antiferromagnetic ring: evidence from neutron spectroscopy

Using inelastic neutron scattering and applied fields up to 11.4 T, we have studied the spin dynamics of the Cr7Ni antiferromagnetic ring in the energy window 0.05-1.6 meV. We demonstrate that the external magnetic field induces an avoided crossing (anticrossing) between energy levels with different total-spin quantum numbers. This corresponds to quantum oscillations of the total spin of each molecule. The inelastic character of the observed excitation and the field dependence of its linewidth indicate that molecular spins oscillate coherently for a significant number of cycles. Precise signatures of the anticrossing are also found at higher energy, where measured and calculated spectra match very well.     

Mott-hubbard metal-insulator transition in paramagnetic V2O3: an LDA+DMFT(QMC) study

The electronic properties of paramagnetic V2O3 are investigated by the computational scheme LDA+DMFT(QMC). This approach merges the local density approximation (LDA) with dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) and uses quantum Monte Carlo simulations (QMC) to solve the effective Anderson impurity model of DMFT. Starting with the crystal structure of metallic V2O3 and insulating (V0.962Cr0.038)2O3 we find a Mott-Hubbard transition at a Coulomb interaction U approximately 5 eV. The calculated spectrum is in very good agreement with experiment. Furthermore, the orbital occupation and the spin state S = 1 determined by us agree with recent polarization dependent x-ray-absorption experiments.     

Molecular engineering of antiferromagnetic rings for quantum computation

The substitution of one metal ion in a Cr-based molecular ring with dominant antiferromagnetic couplings allows the engineering of its level structure and ground-state degeneracy. Here we characterize a Cr7Ni molecular ring by means of low-temperature specific-heat and torque-magnetometry measurements, thus determining the microscopic parameters of the corresponding spin Hamiltonian. The energy spectrum and the suppression of the leakage-inducing S mixing render the Cr7Ni molecule a suitable candidate for the qubit implementation, as further substantiated by our quantum-gate simulations.     

Ni(C3H10N2)2NO2(ClO4)晶体的ESR研究

报道了Ni(C₃H₁₀N₂)₂NO₂(ClO₄)晶体在T=1.5K温度和W波段的ESR实验.建立了d⁸离子基态³A₂(F)的零场分裂参量D,E,和g因子与斜方对称晶场势参量间的关系,并应用于Ni(C₃H₁₀N₂)₂NO₂(ClO₄)晶体.计算值与实验数据符合很好,表明所给关系式是合理的.     

Coherent manipulation of electron spins up to ambient temperatures in Cr5+ (S = 1/2) doped K3NbO8

We report coherent spin manipulation on Cr(5+) (S = 1/2, I = 0) doped K(3)NbO(8), which constitutes a dilute two-level model relevant for use as a spin qubit. Rabi oscillations are observed for the first time in a spin system based on transition metal oxides up to room temperature. At liquid helium temperature the phase coherence relaxation time T2 reaches approximately 10 micros and, with a Rabi frequency of 20 MHz, yields a single-qubit figure of merit Q(M) of about 500. This shows that a diluted ensemble of Cr(5+) (S = 1/2) doped K(3)NbO(8) is a potential candidate for solid-state quantum information processing.     

The phase diagram and hidden order for generalized spin ladders

We investigate the phase diagram of antiferromagnetic spin ladders with additional exchange interactions on diagonal bonds by variational and numerical methods. These generalized spin ladders interpolate smoothly between the [Formula: see text] chain with competing nn and nnn interactions, the [Formula: see text] chain with alternating exchange and the antiferromagnetic (AF) S = 1 chain. The Majumdar - Ghosh ground states are formulated as matrix product states and are shown to exhibit the same type of hidden order as the AF S = 1 chain. Generalized matrix product states are used for a variational calculation of the ground state energy and the spin and string correlation functions. Numerical (Lanczos) calculations of the energies of the ground state and of the low-lying excited states are performed, and compare reasonably with the variational approach. Our results support the hypothesis that the dimer and Majumdar - Ghosh points are in the same phase as the AF S = 1 chain.     

Exchange frequencies in the 2D Wigner crystal

Using path integral Monte Carlo we have calculated exchange frequencies as electrons undergo ring exchanges in a "clean" 2D Wigner crystal as a function of density. The results show agreement with WKB calculations at very low density, but show a more rapid increase with density near melting. Remarkably, the exchange Hamiltonian closely resembles the measured exchanges in 2D (3)He. Using the resulting multispin exchange model we find the spin Hamiltonian for r(s) < or = 175 +/- 10 is a frustrated antiferromagnetic; its likely ground state is a spin liquid. For lower density the ground state will be ferromagnetic.     

Fractional spin textures in the frustrated magnet SrCr(9p)Ga(12-9p)O₁₉

We consider the archetypal frustrated antiferromagnet SrCr(9p)Ga(12-9p)O?? in its well-known spin-liquid state, and demonstrate that a Cr(3+) spin S=3/2 ion in direct proximity to a pair of vacancies (in disordered p<1 samples) is cloaked by a spatially extended spin texture that encodes the correlations of the parent spin liquid. In this spin-liquid regime, our analytic theory predicts that the combined object has a magnetic response identical to a classical spin of length S/2=3/4, which dominates over the small intrinsic susceptibility of the pure system. This fractional-spin texture leaves an unmistakable imprint on the measured ?1Ga nuclear magnetic resonance line shapes, which we compute using Monte Carlo simulations and compare with experimental data.     

Three-dimensional spin structure on a two-dimensional lattice: Mn/Cu(111)

Based on first-principles vector spin-density total-energy calculations of the magnetic and electronic structure of Cr and Mn transition-metal monolayers on the triangular lattice of a (111) oriented Cu surface, we propose for Mn a three-dimensional noncollinear spin structure on a two-dimensional triangular lattice as magnetic ground state. This new spin structure is a multiple spin-density wave of three row-wise antiferromagnetic spin states and comes about due to magnetic interactions beyond the nearest neighbors and due to higher order spin interactions (i.e., four spin). The magnetic ground state of Cr is a coplanar noncollinear periodic 120 degrees Néel structure.     

Electronic structure of charge- and spin-controlled Sr(1-(x+y))La(x+y)Ti(1-x)Cr(x)O3

We present the electronic structure of Sr(1-(x+y))La(x+y)Ti(1-x)Cr(x)O3 investigated by high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy. In the vicinity of the Fermi level, it was found that the electronic structure was composed of a Cr 3d local state with the t(2g)3 configuration and a Ti 3d itinerant state. The energy levels of these Cr and Ti 3d states are well interpreted by the difference of the charge-transfer energy of both ions. The spectral weight of the Cr 3d state is completely proportional to the spin concentration x irrespective of the carrier concentration y, indicating that the spin density can be controlled by x as desired. In contrast, the spectral weight of the Ti 3d state is not proportional to y, depending on the amount of Cr doping.     

δ-(Zn,Cr)S(111)表面上的Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya作用:第一性原理计算

根据密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算了具有非中心反演对称的异质结δ-(Zn,Cr)S(111)体系的原子结构和电子结构.Cr原子之间通过第一层S原子传递磁性相互作用.结合广义布洛赫条件,又进一步计算了反方向的自旋螺旋能量与波矢的色散关系E(q)与E(-q).E(q)与E(-q)能量之差反映了δ-(Zn,Cr)S(111)的S层与Cr层之间空间反演对称性破缺引起的DMI的大小.通过海森伯相互作用(HBI)模型与Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya作用(DMI)模型拟合第一性原理计算值,得到了Cr原子间各近邻的HBI参数J_1-J_4与DMI参数d-_1,d_2.在δ-(Zn,Cr)S(111)中,Cr原子间的耦合为M型反铁磁.DMI参数d_1为-0.53 meV,为顺时针手性DMI,在δ-(Zn,Cr)S(111)界面上有可能会产生斯格明子.本文计算表明,磁性和非磁性半导体界面有可能存在DMI,为理论研究和磁存储技术的进步开拓一个新的方向.     

First-principles linear muffin-tin orbital investigations in the electronic and magnetic structures of double perovskites Ba2TMoO6 (T=V,Cr, Mn,Fe and Co)

The electronic and magnetic structures of ordered double perovskites Ba₂TMoO₆ (T=V, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co) are systematically investigated by means of the first-principle linear muffin-tin orbitals with the atomic-sphere approximation (LMTO-ASA) method. The calculations are performed by using the both local spin density approximation (LSDA) and the LSDA+U Coulomb interaction schemes. The results show a half-metallic ferrimagnetic ground states for T=Cr, Fe and Co in LSDA+U treatment, whereas half-metallic ferromagnetic character is observed for T=V. For T=Mn, insulating ground state is obtained, stabilized in the antiferromagnetic state. The LSDA+U calculations yield better agreement with the theoretical and the experimental results than do the LSDA.