Dresden 2014 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 53: Spin Structures at Surfaces and in thin films II

MA 53.6: Talk

Friday, April 4, 2014, 10:45–11:00, BEY 118

Spin states of single holmium adatoms with exceptionally long lifetimes — Toshio Miyamachi, Tobias Schuh, •Tobias Märkl, Timofey Balashov, Christopher Bresch, Alexander Stöhr, and Wulf Wulfhekel — Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Wolfgang-Gaede-Straße 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

In order to use single atomic spins in data storage and processing, stable spin states are crucial. Generally, transition metal atoms on metallic surfaces or thin insulating films show short spin lifetimes of less than a microsecond due to a strong hybridization between substrate electrons and the 3d-orbitals of the atom.

Here, we report on a series of experiments to investigate spin states of Ho atoms on a Pt(111) surface with STM. In this approach we combined the characteristics of a rare earth atom with the symmetries of the adsorption site to significantly decouple the 4f orbitals from the substrate, resulting in lifetimes up to several minutes. [1]

[1] T. Miyamachi et al., Nature 503, 242-246 (2013)