Supramolecular Spin Valve Effects in Graphene Quantum Dots Decorated with Single Molecule Magnets

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) have promising applications in quantum computing and molecular spintronics. Previous work demonstrated spin valve effects in hybrid devices made of carbon nanotube or graphene quantum dots decorated with a few TbPc₂ SMMs, yielding higher or lower electrical conductance through the dots depending on whether the magnetic moments of the molecules had parallel or antiparallel orientation. This electrical detection of the magnetization switching was demonstrated at temperatures below 0.6 K and by tuning the gate voltage of the quantum dot away from the Coulomb blockade region, in the conducting regime ^[1].

Herein, we present similar results using graphene quantum dot devices that are not gated and are decorated with Mn₁₂ SMMs. Taking transport measurements of the devices, we have observed magnetization switching at high temperatures (as high as 60K), allowing studies of the switching dynamics of Mn12 molecules in a wide temperature range.

Reference

1. Urdampilleta, M., Klyatskaya, S., Cleuziou, JP. et al. Supramolecular spin valves. Nature Mater 10, 502–506 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3050