A flat molecule on a surface comprised of bismuth atoms (blue) and silver atoms (grey). The central manganese atom (red) is capable of changing its position. As a result, the molecule can take on two stable states. (Graphic: Jens Kügel & Michael Karolak)
11/14/2018 - For the first time, physicists from the University of Würzburg have successfully positioned an organic molecule on a substrate realizing two stable configurations. This may have application potential in molecular spintronics. It looks like a cross with four arms of equal length that have a central atom at their intersection. All atoms are arranged in one plane so that the molecule is absolutely planar - at least in the normal state. Physicists from the University of Würzburg have now succeeded in manipulating this molecule using a special deposit and an electrical field to permanently take on two different states. This could make the molecule suitable as a kind of "molecular switch" for spintronics applications - a trailblazing data processing technology based on electron spin. The molecular switch is the fruit of a collaboration of members from the Departments of Experimental and Theoretical Physics at the University of Würzburg: Dr. Jens Kügel, a postdoc at the Department of Experimental Physics II, devised and ran the experiments.
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