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Effect of crystalline disorder on quantum tunneling in the single-molecule magnet Mn12 benzoate

C. Carbonera, F. Luis, J. Campo, J. Sánchez-Marcos, A. Camón, J. Chaboy, D. Ruiz-Molina, I. Imaz, J. van Slageren, S. Dengler, and M. González
Phys. Rev. B 81, 014427 – Published 29 January 2010
Physics logo See Synopsis: Appreciate the imperfections

Abstract

We report a detailed study of the effects that crystalline disorder has on the magnetic relaxation and quantum tunneling of Mn12 benzoate clusters. Thanks to the absence of interstitial molecules in the crystal structure of this molecular compound, we have been able to isolate the influence of long-range crystalline disorder. For this, we compare results obtained under two extreme situations: a crystalline sample and a nearly amorphous material. The results show that crystalline disorder affects little the anisotropy, magnetic relaxation, and quantum tunneling of these materials. It follows that disorder is not a necessary ingredient for the existence of magnetic quantum tunneling. The results unveil, however, a subtle influence of crystallinity via the modification of the symmetry of dipole-dipole interactions. The faster tunneling rates measured for the amorphous material are accounted for by a narrower distribution of dipolar bias in this material, as compared with the crystalline sample.

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  • Received 15 September 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.81.014427

©2010 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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Appreciate the imperfections

Published 16 February 2010

Crystalline order is not a necessary condition for magnetic quantum tunneling in a molecular magnet.

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Authors & Affiliations

C. Carbonera, F. Luis*, J. Campo, J. Sánchez-Marcos, A. Camón, and J. Chaboy

  • Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, CSIC–Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain and Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

D. Ruiz-Molina and I. Imaz

  • Centro de Investigación en Nanociencia y Nanotecnología CIN2 (CSIC-ICN), Campus UAB, Edificio CM7, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain

J. van Slageren

  • School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom and 1. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany

S. Dengler

  • 1. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany

M. González

  • Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble, France

  • *Corresponding author; fluis@unizar.es

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Issue

Vol. 81, Iss. 1 — 1 January 2010

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