TCD Scientists Discover a Way to Manipulate the Magnetic Properties of a Molecule Electrically

Posted on: 18 September 2009

A discovery by TCD scientists of a way to manipulate the magnetic properties of a molecule electrically, known as the Electrostatic Spin Crossover Effect, has the potential of developing future important applications such as the construction of ultra-high-dense computer memories.

The findings of the research, led by principal investigator Professor Stefano Sanvito of TCD’s School of Physics and the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) and an international team of Irish and Italian scientists, have just been published in Nature Materials.

The research was sponsored jointly by the EU under the 6th Framework programme and Science Foundation Ireland, both through the Principal Investigator Scheme and through CRANN.

Properties of a material can be changed by using an external stimulus, for example, an electric field can alter the current flow in a semiconductor which is crucial to the operation of transistors. Likewise, a magnetic field can change the magnetisation of a magnet, making hard-disk drives writable. It is much more problematic to alter the magnetic properties of a material with an electrical stimulus.

Professor Sanvito’s research findings demonstrated an innovative pathway to switch off the magnetisation of a molecule by simply applying an electric field. Such a phenomenon has been named the Electrostatic Spin Crossover Effect (ESCE). It demonstrates that the ESCE is possible in a broad family of molecules, and indicates a potential approach for the chemical synthesis of such molecules.

Commenting on the significance of the discovery, Professor Sanvito stated: “These findings can open a number of prospects for applications such as the construction of ultra-dense molecular memories. On a more fundamental level, the work shows the relation between magnetic and electric interaction in a solid state. This can be used as a platform for performing controlled logic operations serving as a physical platform for quantum computing”.

An artistic impression of a magnetic molecule-based memory