Coherent control of individual molecular spins in nano-devices is a pivotal prerequisite for fulfilling the potential promised by molecular spintronics. By applying electric field pulses during time-resolved electron spin resonance measurements, we measure the sensitivity of the spin in several antiferromagnetic molecular nanomagnets to external electric fields. We find a linear electric field dependence of the spin states in Cr7Mn, an antiferromagnetic ring with a ground-state spin of S=1, and in a frustrated Cu3 triangle, both with coefficients of about 2rads−1/Vm−1. Conversely, the antiferromagnetic ring Cr7Ni, isomorphic with Cr7Mn but with S=1/2, does not exhibit a detectable effect. We propose that the spin-electric field coupling may be used for selectively controlling individual molecules embedded in nanodevices.
@article{arxiv.1805.05256,
title = {Electric field control of spins in molecular magnets},
author = {Junjie Liu and Jakub Mrozek and William K. Myers and Grigore A. Timco and Richard E. P. Winpenny and Benjamin Kintzel and Winfried Plass and Arzhang Ardavan},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1805.05256},
year = {2019}
}