Spin-Flop Switching and Memory in a Molecular Conductor

Spin-flip-driven anomalous Hall effect and anisotropic magnetoresistance in a layered Ising antiferromagnet

The influence of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in antiferromagnets is evident in a spin flip or flop transition. Contrary to spin flops, a spin-flip transition has been scarcely presented due to its specific condition of relatively strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the role of spin-flips on anisotropic phenomena has not been investigated in detail. In this study, we present antiferromagnet-based functional properties on an itinerant Ising antiferromagnet Ca_0.9Sr_0.1Co₂As₂. In the presence of a rotating magnetic field, anomalous Hall conductivity and anisotropic magnetoresistance are demonstrated, the effects of which are maximized above the spin-flip transition. Moreover, a joint experimental and theoretical study is conducted to provide an efficient tool to identify various spin states, which can be useful in spin-processing functionalities.

Conducting Coronene Cation Radical Salt Containing Magnetic Metal Ions

Coronene is the smallest homologue of benzene and is the smallest fragment of graphene among 6-fold symmetric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, we obtained the first coronene cation radical solid containing magnetic counterions by an electrochemical method. Coronene monocations in the 1:1 salt, (coronene^•+)(FeBr₄^-), assemble in a stacking manner via π-π interactions, which lead to a rather high room-temperature conductivity of 0.6 S cm^-1. The salt shows semiconducting behavior as expected from the calculated band structure, and activation energies were estimated to be 0.25 eV at T ≥ 220 K and 0.18 eV at T ≤ 220 K. The magnetic susceptibility follows the Curie-Weiss law down to about 30 K, with a Curie constant (4.47 emu K mol^-1) expected for S = 5/2 spins of iron(III) ions and a high Weiss temperature (-32.2 K). Upon further cooling, the salt exhibits a susceptibility kink at 16.2 K followed by the loss of a significant fraction of the susceptibility due to long-range antiferromagnetic ordering. Theoretical calculations predicted that the indirect π-d magnetic exchange interaction through C-H···Br hydrogen bonds is equal to J_πd = -3.10 K. Although the absolute value is lower than that of the direct d-d magnetic exchange interaction between the FeBr₄^- anions (J_dd = -13.35 K), it is evident that the π-d interactions play a certain role in determining the magnetic behavior. Considering that an isomorphous salt, (coronene^•+)(GaBr₄^-) involving a nonmagnetic counterpart GaBr₄^-, exhibits singlet-triplet magnetic behavior with a spin gap of 1.44 × 10³ K, it is most likely that in (coronene)(FeBr₄) the nonmagnetic π-electrons serve as mediators of the magnetic ordering of d-spins through the π-d interactions.

Neutral-Type One-Dimensional Mixed-Valence Halogen-Bridged Platinum Chain Complexes with Large Charge-Transfer Band Gaps

One-dimensional (1D) electronic systems have attracted significant attention for a long time because of their various physical properties. Among 1D electronic systems, 1D halogen-bridged mixed-valence transition-metal complexes (the so-called MX chains) have been thoroughly studied owing to designable structures and electronic states. Here, we report the syntheses, structures, and electronic properties of three kinds of novel neutral MX-chain complexes. The crystal structures consist of 1D chains of Pt-X repeating units with (1R,2R)-(-)-diaminocychlohexane and CN(-) in-plane ligands. Because of the absence of a counteranion, the neutral MX chains have short interchain distances, so that strong interchain electronic interaction is expected. Resonance Raman spectra and diffuse-reflectance UV-vis spectra indicate that their electronic states are mixed-valence states (charge-density-wave state: Pt(2+)···X-Pt(4+)-X···Pt(2+)···X-Pt(4+)-X···). In addition, the relationship between the intervalence charge-transfer (IVCT) band gap and the degree of distortion of the 1D chain shows that the neutral MX chains have a larger IVCT band gap than that of cationic MX-chain complexes. These results provide new insight into the physical and electronic properties of 1D chain compounds.

Unconventional Magnetic and Resistive Hysteresis in an Iodine-Bonded Molecular Conductor

Simultaneous manipulation of both spin and charge is a crucial issue in magnetic conductors. We report on a strong correlation between magnetism and conductivity in the iodine-bonded molecular conductor (DIETSe)2 FeBr2 Cl2 [DIETSe=diiodo(ethylenedithio)tetraselenafulvalene], which is the first molecular conductor showing a large hysteresis in both magnetic moment and magnetoresistance associated with a spin-flop transition. Utilizing a mixed-anion approach and iodine bonding interactions, we tailored a molecular conductor with random exchange interactions exhibiting unforeseen physical properties.

Nonelectrochemical synthesis, crystal structure, and physical properties of the radical salt [ET]2[CuCl4] (ET = bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene)

The radical salt [ET]2[CuCl4] was obtained by chemical oxidation of bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene (ET) with the tetranuclear copper(II) halide cluster [Cu4OCl10](4-). Although a complex mixture of anions forms in solution during the redox reaction, only this product is obtained as large (>3 mm) single crystals. X-ray diffraction analysis determined that the ET molecules stack in the solid state forming dimerized 1D chains along the a axis, interleaved by [CuCl4](2-) anions. The ET dimers show very short S···S contacts (<3.41 Å). The physical properties are dominated by these intradimer ET interactions. The magnetic behavior shows antiferromagnetic coupling with a singlet-triplet gap >620 K (430 cm(-1)). The Cu(2+) (S = 1/2) centers are magnetically isolated and yield a narrow EPR line in the X-band at g = 2.01. The ET moieties are EPR silent.