Hyperfine interaction of individual atoms on a surface
Taking advantage of nuclear spins for electronic structure analysis, magnetic resonance imaging, and quantum devices hinges on knowledge and control of the surrounding atomic-scale environment. We measured and manipulated the hyperfine interaction of individual iron and titanium atoms placed on a magnesium oxide surface by using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy in combination with single-atom electron spin resonance. Using atom manipulation to move single atoms, we found that the hyperfine interaction strongly depended on the binding configuration of the atom. We could extract atom- and position-dependent information about the electronic ground state, the state mixing with neighboring atoms, and properties of the nuclear spin. Thus, the hyperfine spectrum becomes a powerful probe of the chemical environment of individual atoms and nanostructures.
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Authors: Willke, P., Bae, Y., Yang, K., Lado, J. L., Ferron, A., Choi, T., Ardavan, A., Fernandez-Rossier, J., Heinrich, A. J., Lutz, C. P. Tags: Physics reports Source Type: news
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