Paper detail

Observing magnetic anisotropy in electronic transport through individual single-molecule magnets

We review different electron transport methods to probe the magnetic properties, such as the magnetic anisotropy, of an individual Fe4 SMM. The different approaches comprise first and higher order transport through the molecule. Gate spectroscopy, focusing on the charge degeneracy-point, is presented as a robust technique to quantify the longitudinal magnetic anisotropy of the SMM in different redox states. We provide statistics showing the robustness and reproducibility of the different methods. In addition, conductance measurements typically show high-energy excited states well beyond the ground spin multiplet of SMM. Some of these excitations have their origin in excited spin multiplets, others in vibrational modes of the molecule. The interplay between vibrations, charge and spin may yield a new approach for spin control.