Spin excitations in nanographene-based antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains
Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Forschungsartikel › Beigetragen › Begutachtung
Beitragende
Abstract
Antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chains exhibit two distinct types of excitation spectrum: gapped for integer-spin chains and gapless for half-integer-spin chains. However, in finite-length half-integer-spin chains, quantization induces a gap, requiring precise control over sufficiently long chains to study its evolution. Here we create length-controlled spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains by covalently linking Olympicenes—Olympic-ring-shaped magnetic nanographenes. With large exchange interactions, tunable lengths and negligible magnetic anisotropy, this system is ideal for investigating length-dependent spin excitations, probed via inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy. We observe a power-law decay of the lowest excitation energy with length L, following a 1/L dependence in the large-L regime, consistent with theory. For L = 50, a V-shaped excitation continuum confirms a gapless behaviour in the thermodynamic limit. Additionally, low-bias current maps reveal the standing wave of a single spinon in odd-numbered chains. Our findings provide evidence for the realization of a one-dimensional analogue of a gapless spin liquid within an artificial graphene lattice.
Details
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Seiten (von - bis) | 722-727 |
| Seitenumfang | 8 |
| Fachzeitschrift | Nature materials |
| Jahrgang | 24 |
| Ausgabenummer | 5 |
| Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - 14 März 2025 |
| Peer-Review-Status | Ja |
Externe IDs
| PubMed | 40087538 |
|---|