6533b838fe1ef96bd12a3d70
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Ground-state spin blockade in a single-molecule junction
J. De BruijckereP. GehringM. Palacios-corellaM. Clemente-leonE. CoronadoJ. PaaskeP. HedegardH. S. J. Van Der ZantPer Hedegårdsubject
PhysicsCondensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale PhysicsCondensed matter physicsSpinsTransistorFOS: Physical sciencesQuàntums Teoria delsGeneral Physics and AstronomyCharge (physics)02 engineering and technology021001 nanoscience & nanotechnologyCondensed Matter::Mesoscopic Systems and Quantum Hall Effect01 natural sciencesPartícules (Física nuclear)law.inventionlawElectric fieldMesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)0103 physical sciencesCharge carrier010306 general physics0210 nano-technologyGround stateQuantumSpin-½description
It is known that the quantum mechanical ground state of a nanoscale junction has a significant impact on its electrical transport properties. This becomes particularly important in transistors consisting of a single molecule. Because of strong electron-electron interactions and the possibility of accessing ground states with high spins, these systems are eligible hosts of a current-blockade phenomenon called a ground-state spin blockade. This effect arises from the inability of a charge carrier to account for the spin difference required to enter the junction, as that process would violate the spin selection rules. Here, we present a direct experimental demonstration of a ground-state spin blockade in a high-spin single-molecule transistor. The measured transport characteristics of this device exhibit a complete suppression of resonant transport due to a ground-state spin difference of 3/2 between subsequent charge states. Strikingly, the blockade can be reversibly lifted by driving the system through a magnetic ground-state transition in one charge state, using the tunability offered by both magnetic and electric fields.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-14 |