Optical switching between bistable phases in rubidium manganese hexacyanoferrate at room temperature

Abstract

The phase transition from Fe(II)(S=0)–CN–Mn(III)(S=2) to Fe(III)(S=1∕2)–CN–Mn(II)(S=5∕2) in Rb0.98Mn1.01[Fe(CN)6]∙0.2H2O was observed at room temperature with a one-shot-laser-pulse (λ=532nm; pulse width: 6ns) irradiation. The quantum yield (Φ) depended on the laser power density (P) and Φ=38 was achieved with a 24mJcm−2pulse−1. In this photochemical reaction, only when the P value was above 6mJcm−2pulse−1 (Pth), the low-temperature phase was converted to the high-temperature phase. The threshold in laser power density and large Φ value were thermodynamically considered using a mean field model that contains cooperative interaction.