ABSTRACT
To design molecular spin qubits and nanomagnets operating at high temperatures, there is an urgent need to understand the relationship between vibrations and spin relaxation processes. Herein we develop a simple first-principles methodology to determine the modulation that vibrations exert on spin energy levels. This methodology is applied to [Cu(mnt)2]2- (mnt2- = 1,2-dicyanoethylene-1,2-dithiolate), a highly coherent complex. By theoretically identifying the most relevant vibrational modes, we are able to offer general strategies to chemically design more resilient magnetic molecules, where the energy of the spin states is not coupled to vibrations.
ABSTRACT
The physical factors governing the magnetic coupling between two magnetic sites are analyzed and quantified as functions of the length of the bridging conjugated ligand. Using wave-function-theory based ab initio calculations, it has been possible to separate and calculate the various contributions to the magnetic coupling, i.e. the direct exchange, the spin polarization and the kinetic exchange. It is shown in model systems that while the Anderson mechanism brings the leading contribution for short-length ligands, the spin polarization dominates the through-long-ligand couplings. Since the spin polarization decreases more slowly than the kinetic exchange, highly spin polarizable bridging ligands would generate a good magneto-communication between interacting magnetic units.
