• 文献标题:   Single spin localization and manipulation in graphene open-shell nanostructures
  • 文献类型:   Article
  • 作  者:   LI JC, SANZ S, CORSO M, CHOI DJ, PENA D, FREDERIKSEN T, PASCUAL JI
  • 作者关键词:  
  • 出版物名称:   NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
  • ISSN:   2041-1723
  • 通讯作者地址:   CIC NanoGUNE
  • 被引频次:   33
  • DOI:   10.1038/s41467-018-08060-6
  • 出版年:   2019

▎ 摘  要

Turning graphene magnetic is a promising challenge to make it an active material for spintronics. Predictions state that graphene structures with specific shapes can spontaneously develop magnetism driven by Coulomb repulsion of pi-electrons, but its experimental verification is demanding. Here, we report on the observation and manipulation of individual magnetic moments in graphene open-shell nanostructures on a gold surface. Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we detect the presence of single electron spins localized around certain zigzag sites of the carbon backbone via the Kondo effect. We find near-by spins coupled into a singlet ground state and quantify their exchange interaction via singlet-triplet inelastic electron excitations. Theoretical simulations picture how electron correlations result in spin-polarized radical states with the experimentally observed spatial distributions. Extra hydrogen atoms bound to radical sites quench their magnetic moment and switch the spin of the nanostructure in half-integer amounts. Our work demonstrates the intrinsic pi-paramagnetism of graphene nanostructures.