Finite Antiferromagnetic Chains Research Articles

Breaking the ring: 53Cr-NMR on the Cr8Cd molecular nanomagnet

An accurate experimental characterization of finite antiferromagnetic (AF) spin chains is crucial for controlling and manipulating their magnetic properties and quantum states for potential applications in spintronics or quantum computation. In particular, finite AF chains are expected to show a different magnetic behaviour depending on their length and topology. Molecular AF rings are able to combine the quantum-magnetic behaviour of AF chains with a very remarkable tunability of their topological and geometrical properties. In this work we measure the 53Cr-NMR spectra of the Cr8Cd ring to study the local spin densities on the Cr sites. Cr8Cd can in fact be considered a model system of a finite AF open chain with an even number of spins. The NMR resonant frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical local spin densities, by assuming a core polarization field AC = −12.7 T μB−1. Moreover, these NMR results confirm the theoretically predicted non-collinear spin arrangement along the Cr8Cd ring, which is typical of an even-open AF spin chain.

Quantum energy gap in two quasi-one-dimensional S=1 Heisenberg antiferromagnets (invited)

Following the Haldane conjecture, the antiferromagnetic (AF) Heisenberg chain of integer spins has a singlet ground state separated from the excited states by an energy gap. Recent numerical calculations on finite AF chains with S=1 supported this conjecture and provided an approximate value for the energy gap: EG≂0.4‖ J‖, where J is the intrachain exchange interaction. We report experimental studies on two Ni (II) quasi-one-dimensional (1D) AF with large intrachain interaction, J/k≂−50 K, Ni(C2H8N2)2NO2(ClO4) (NENP) and Ni(C3H10N2)2NO2(ClO4), (NINO). In both compounds, the magnetic susceptibility along the three crystal axes steeply decreases below T≂15 K and no 3D long-range magnetic order could be detected down to 1.2 K. These features are consistent with the Haldane conjecture. Inelastic neutron scattering experiments performed on NENP show two energy gaps, with an average value of about 0.4‖ J‖, which are explained by a splitting of the Haldane gap by single-ion anisotropy.