Spin excitations in nanographene-based antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Chenxiao Zhao - , Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) (Author)
  • Lin Yang - , Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Chair of Molecular Functional Materials (cfaed), Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics (Author)
  • João C.G. Henriques - , International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Santiago de Compostela (Author)
  • Mar Ferri-Cortés - , University of Alicante (Author)
  • Gonçalo Catarina - , Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) (Author)
  • Carlo A. Pignedoli - , Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) (Author)
  • Ji Ma - , Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) (Author)
  • Xinliang Feng - , Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Chair of Molecular Functional Materials (cfaed), Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics (Author)
  • Pascal Ruffieux - , Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) (Author)
  • Joaquín Fernández-Rossier - , International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Author)
  • Roman Fasel - , Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), University of Bern (Author)

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

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)722-727
Number of pages8
JournalNature materials
Volume24
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 14 Mar 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 40087538