Giant magnetic anisotropy of heavy p-elements on high-symmetry substrates: a new paradigm for supported nanostructures. (27th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pang, Rui; Deng, Bei; Shi, Xingqiang; Zheng, Xiaohong
• Is Part Of: New journal of physics. Volume 20:Number 4(2018:Apr.)
• Publication Date: 2018-04-27
• Subjects: giant magnetic anisotropy -- atomic dimer -- spin–orbital coupling -- defected graphene; Physics -- Periodicals; Physics; Periodicals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/aabb88
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-2630

Abstract

Abstract: Nanostructures with giant magnetic anisotropy energies (MAEs) are desired in designing miniaturized magnetic storage and quantum computing devices. Previous works focused mainly on materials or elements with d electrons. Here, by taking Bi–X(X = In, Tl, Ge, Sn, Pb) adsorbed on nitrogenized divacancy of graphene and Bi atoms adsorbed on MgO(100) as examples, through ab initio and model calculations, we propose that special p -element dimers and single-adatoms on symmetry-matched substrates possess giant atomic MAEs of 72–200 meV, and has room temperature structural stability. The huge MAEs originate from the p -orbital degeneracy around the Fermi level in a symmetry-matched surface ligand field and the lifting of this degeneracy when spin–orbit interaction (SOI) is taken into account. Especially, we developed a simplified quantum mechanical model for the design principles of giant MAEs of supported magnetic adatoms and dimers. Thus, our discoveries and mechanisms provide a new paradigm to design giant atomic MAE of p electrons in supported nanostructures.