Building spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chains with diaza-nanographenes
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Switching on and off the spin polarization of the conduction band in antiferromagnetic bilayer transistors
Antiferromagnetic conductors with suitably broken spatial symmetries host spin-polarized bands, which lead to transport phenomena commonly observed in metallic ferromagnets. In bulk materials, it is the given crystalline structure that determines whether symmetries are broken and spin-polarized bands are present. Here we show that, in the two-dimensional limit, an electric field can control the relevant symmetries. To this end, we fabricate a double-gate transistor based on bilayers of van der Waals antiferromagnetic semiconductor CrPS4 and show how a perpendicular electric displacement field can switch the spin polarization of the conduction band on and off. Because conduction band states with opposite spin polarizations are hosted in the different layers and are spatially separated, these devices also give control over the magnetization of the electrons that are accumulated electrostatically. Our experiments show that double-gated CrPS4 transistors provide a viable platform to create gate-induced conductors with near unity spin polarization at the Fermi level, as well as devices with a full electrostatic control of the total magnetization of the system.
Probing the weak limit of magnetocrystalline anisotropy through a spin‒flop transition in the van der Waals antiferromagnet CrPS4
The influence of magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) on antiferromagnetism is elucidated through the characterization of the spin‒flop transition. However, due to a lack of suitable candidates for investigation, a detailed understanding of the preservation of the spin‒flop transition in the presence of low MCA energy remains elusive. In this study, we introduce CrPS4, which is a two-dimensional van der Waals antiferromagnet, as an ideal system to explore the exceedingly weak limit of the thermally-evolved MCA energy. By employing a uniaxially anisotropic spin model and fitting it to the experimental magnetic properties, we quantify the MCA energy and identify the discernible spin configurations in different magnetic phases. Notably, even at the limit of extremely weak MCA, with a mere 0.12% of the interlayer antiferromagnetic exchange interaction at T = 33 K, which is slightly below the Néel temperature (TN) of 38 K, the spin‒flop transition remains intact. We further establish a direct correlation between the visualized spin arrangements and the progressive reversal of magnetic torque induced by rotating magnetic fields. This analysis reveals the essential role of MCA in antiferromagnetism, thus extending our understanding to previously undetected limits and providing valuable insights for the development of spin-processing functionalities based on van der Waals magnets.
Spin-state effect on the efficiency of a post-synthetic modification reaction on a spin crossover complex
The spin state of a metal center significantly influences the catalytic activity of its complex, a phenomenon so crucial that it has led to the dedicated field of spin catalysis. Here we investigate the effect of the spin state of an iron-based metal complex on the organic reactivity of its ligands. Specifically, we examined the post-synthetic modification of the spin crossover (SCO) complex [Fe(NH2trz)3](NO3)2 with p-anisaldehyde. A series of experiments were performed to study the transformation of the amino groups depending on the spin state of the metal. Owing to the wide thermal hysteresis loop of the SCO complex, both spin states were compared under identical conditions. The results revealed that the high-spin state led to the formation of 1.34 times more imine functional groups than the low-spin state, we propose that this arises from the different interactions between the solvent and the SCO at the different spin states.
Spin–valley protected Kramers pair in bilayer graphene
The intrinsic valley degree of freedom makes bilayer graphene (BLG) a unique platform for semiconductor qubits. The single-carrier quantum dot (QD) ground state exhibits a twofold degeneracy, where the two states that constitute a Kramers pair have opposite spin and valley quantum numbers. Because of the valley-dependent Berry curvature, an out-of-plane magnetic field breaks the time-reversal symmetry of this ground state and a qubit can be encoded in the spin–valley subspace. The Kramers states are protected against known spin- and valley-mixing mechanisms because mixing requires a simultaneous change of the two quantum numbers. Here, we fabricate a tunable QD device in Bernal BLG and measure a spin–valley relaxation time for the Kramers states of 38 s at 30 mK, which is two orders of magnitude longer than the 0.4 s measured for purely spin-blocked states. We also show that the intrinsic Kane–Mele spin–orbit splitting enables a Kramers doublet single-shot readout even at zero magnetic field with a fidelity above 99%. If these long-lived Kramers states also possess long coherence times and can be effectively manipulated, electrostatically defined QDs in BLG may serve as long-lived semiconductor qubits, extending beyond the spin qubit paradigm.
Single cell dynamics and nitrogen transformations in the chain forming diatom Chaetoceros affinis
Colony formation in phytoplankton is often considered a disadvantage during nutrient limitation in aquatic systems. Using stable isotopic tracers combined with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), we unravel cell-specific activities of a chain-forming diatom and interactions with attached bacteria. The uptake of 13C-bicarbonate and15N-nitrate or 15N-ammonium was studied in Chaetoceros affinis during the stationary growth phase. Low cell-to-cell variance of 13C-bicarbonate and 15N-nitrate assimilation within diatom chains prevailed during the early stationary phase. Up to 5% of freshly assimilated 13C and 15N was detected in attached bacteria within 12 h and supported bacterial C- and N-growth rates up to 0.026 h−1. During the mid-stationary phase, diatom chain-length decreased and 13C and 15N-nitrate assimilation was significantly higher in solitary cells as compared to that in chain cells. During the late stationary phase, nitrate assimilation ceased and ammonium assimilation balanced C fixation. At this stage, we observed highly active cells neighboring inactive cells within the same chain. In N-limited regimes, bacterial remineralization of N and the short diffusion distance between neighbors in chains may support surviving cells. This combination of “microbial gardening” and nutrient transfer within diatom chains represents a strategy which challenges current paradigms of nutrient fluxes in plankton communities.
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