Russian scientists discover new magnet family

Science and Technology Daily (reporter Dong Yingbi) Russian researchers have found that the atypical complex compounds of cobalt, iron and nickel can exhibit the characteristics of single-ion magnets, which will help to use this material to manufacture ultra-high density and efficient electronic component basic equipment for storing information, with a capacity of 1000 times that of modern equipment. The relevant research results were published in the recent journal Magnetochemistry. Single molecular magnet (SMM) is a material in which a single molecule or atom can maintain the spin torque-magnetization direction. Their state can be switched by external magnetic field.



Researchers at the University of the Russian Federation found that in the pentagonal bipyramid coordination medium, the seven coordination ions of 3d series metals from iron to nickel can exhibit the characteristics of single ion magnets (SIM).



Compounds of single-ion magnets belong to the family of molecular magnets, in which the accumulation of magnetization is limited to a single paramagnetic center - d or f metal ions. The researchers said that the pentagonal bipyramidal seven-coordination is not unique to the 3d series of transition metal "late" ions, especially in the environment of total nitrogen donor, because their ionic radius is quite small.



However, researchers managed to synthesize such compounds, determine their structure by single crystal X-ray structure analysis, and study the magnetism in constant and alternating fields in detail. Researchers said that at the current stage, this work is more fundamental than practical. At present, the material can only maintain magnetization at a very low temperature, lower than the so-called blocking temperature, because the remanagnetization potential barrier is small.



Researchers are accumulating experimental materials to find the connection between molecular structure and its magnetism. The following research may produce powerful equipment for the electronic component base of the storage system, and develop new technologies based on the use of electronic spin characteristics, such as the manufacture of quantum computing devices.