Three-leaf Quantum Interference Clovers in a Molecular Magnet (Physical Review Letters)

The first observation of Berry phase interference in a molecular magnet of trigonal symmetry.

PUBLISHED IN PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

We have recently reported on a single-molecule magnet where the spatial arrangement of three manganese ions and their spin-orbit coupling tensor orientations result in three-fold angular modulations of the magnetization tunneling rates and quantum interference patterns that mimic the form of a three-leaf clover. Although expected in all quantum tunneling of magnetization QTM resonances for a trigonal molecular symmetry, the three-fold modulation only appears at resonances for which a longitudinal magnetic field is applied (i.e., resonances numbers |k| > 0). A six-fold transverse field modulation observed at resonance k = 0 manifests as a direct consequence of a three-fold corrugation of the spin-orbit coupling energy landscape, creating an effective longitudinal field which varies the resonance condition in the presence of a transverse field. The observations allow for an association between the trigonal distortion of the local spin-orbit interactions and the spatial disposition of the constituent ions, a finding that can be extrapolated to other systems where spin-orbit coupling plays a significant role.

The results have been recently published in Physical Review Letters.

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