Abstract
I show that recent experiments of inelastic scanning tunneling spectroscopy of single and a few magnetic atoms are modeled with a phenomenological spin-assisted tunneling Hamiltonian so that the inelastic line shape is related to the spin spectral weight of the magnetic atom. This accounts for the spin selection rules and spectra observed experimentally for single Fe and Mn atoms deposited on . In the case of chains of Mn atoms it is found necessary to include both first and second-neighbor exchange interactions as well as single-ion anisotropy.
- Received 19 January 2009
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.256802
©2009 American Physical Society