Crystal size dependence of dipolar ferromagnetic order between Mn6 molecular nanomagnets

We study how crystal size influences magnetic ordering in arrays of molecular nanomagnets coupled by dipolar interactions. Compressed fluid techniques have been applied to synthesize crystals of Mn6 molecules (spin S=12) with sizes ranging from 28μm down to 220 nm. The onset of ferromagnetic order a...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Burzurí, Enrique, Martínez Pérez, M. J., Muntó, Maria, Barrios, Leoní A., Ventosa, Nora, Roubeau, Olivier, Veciana, Jaume, Aromí, Guillem, Luis, Fernando
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/296337
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/296337
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85143815252
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Magnetic interactions
Magnetic phase transitions
Magnetic susceptibility
Magnetization dynamics
Descripción
Sumario:We study how crystal size influences magnetic ordering in arrays of molecular nanomagnets coupled by dipolar interactions. Compressed fluid techniques have been applied to synthesize crystals of Mn6 molecules (spin S=12) with sizes ranging from 28μm down to 220 nm. The onset of ferromagnetic order and the spin thermalization rates have been studied by means of ac susceptibility measurements. We find that the ordered phase remains ferromagnetic, as in the bulk, but the critical temperature Tc decreases with crystal size. Simple magnetostatic energy calculations, supported by Monte Carlo simulations, account for the observed drop in Tc in terms of the minimum attainable energy for finite-sized magnetic domains limited by the crystal boundaries. Frequency-dependent susceptibility measurements give access to the spin dynamics. Although magnetic relaxation remains dominated by individual spin flips, the onset of magnetic order leads to very long spin thermalization time scales. The results show that size influences the magnetism of dipolar systems with as many as 1011 spins and are relevant for the interpretation of quantum simulations performed on finite lattices.