Detecting the spin-polarization of edge states in graphene nanoribbons

Brede, Jens ; Merino-Díez, Nestor ; Berdonces-Layunta, Alejandro ; Sanz, Sofía ; Domínguez-Celorrio, Amelia ; Lobo-Checa, Jorge ; Vilas-Varela, Manuel ; Peña, Diego ; Frederiksen, Thomas ; Pascual, José I. ; Oteyza, Dimas G. de ; Serrate, David

Resumen: Low dimensional carbon-based materials can show intrinsic magnetism associated to p-electrons in open-shell π-conjugated systems. Chemical design provides atomically precise control of the π-electron cloud, which makes them promising for nanoscale magnetic devices. However, direct verification of their spatially resolved spin-moment remains elusive. Here, we report the spin-polarization of chiral graphene nanoribbons (one-dimensional strips of graphene with alternating zig-zag and arm-chair boundaries), obtained by means of spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy. We extract the energy-dependent spin-moment distribution of spatially extended edge states with π-orbital character, thus beyond localized magnetic moments at radical or defective carbon sites. Guided by mean-field Hubbard calculations, we demonstrate that electron correlations are responsible for the spin-splitting of the electronic structure. Our versatile platform utilizes a ferromagnetic substrate that stabilizes the organic magnetic moments against thermal and quantum fluctuations, while being fully compatible with on-surface synthesis of the rapidly growing class of nanographenes.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42436-7

Año: 2023

Publicado en: Nature communications 14, 6677 [8 pp.] (2023)
ISSN: 2041-1723

Factor impacto JCR: 14.7 (2023)

Categ. JCR: MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES rank: 8 / 134 = 0.06 (2023) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 24.9 - Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (all) (Q1) - Chemistry (all) (Q1) - Physics and Astronomy (all) (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 4.887 - Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Chemistry (miscellaneous) (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/CEX2020-001058-M
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2019-107338RB-C61
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2019-107338RB-C62
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2019-107338RB-C63
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2019-107338RB-C64
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/E12-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/E13-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/863098/EU/SPin Research IN Graphene/SPRING
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PCI2019-111933-2
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2020-115406GB-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/MICINN/TED2021-132388B-C43
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/RED2018-102833-T

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)