Tuning the magnetic anisotropy of single U atoms on MgO/Ag(001)

Wei Feng, Mingming Fu, Ping Yang, Qiang Zhang, Qunqing Hao, Xiangfei Yang, Yun Zhang, Xiegang Zhu, Shiyong Tan, Zhenpeng Hu, Qiuyun Chen, Qin Liu, Xinchun Lai

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Searching for single-atom systems with large magnetic anisotropy energies and tunable magnetic states is of vital importance for both fundamental research of magnetism at the atomic scale and realization of future spin-based quantum computation or information storage schemes. Single 5f electron based actinide atoms are potential candidates for inducing large magnetic anisotropy energies (MAEs), yet they have been much less studied as compared with 3d or 4f single-atom systems. Here we present the adsorptive, electronic, and magnetic properties of a single 5f electron based uranium atom on two-monolayer MgO/Ag(001) by combining scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and density functional theory. Our results reveal that single U atoms spontaneously adsorb at the hollow sites of the MgO/Ag(001) surface and they can be controllably switched between the hollow and the O-top sites of MgO/Ag(001) via STM atom manipulation. Most importantly, single U atoms at the O-top sites reveal complex tunneling spectral features, including a symmetric dip at the Fermi energy, which is the manifestation of the existence of a relatively large 5f-driven magnetic anisotropy energy, whereas single U atoms at the hollow sites exhibit a two-lobe subatomic structure stemming from the valence electron orbitals of U itself and show no signs related with magnetic anisotropy. This work proves that single 5f electron based U atoms can possess a considerable uniaxial magnetic anisotropy via adsorbing at the appropriate sites on the carefully chosen supporting surface, and their magnetic states can be tuned by atom manipulation techniques.

Original languageEnglish
Article number245407
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume108
Issue number24
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 15 2023
Externally publishedYes

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 12122409, No. 11974319, and No. 11904335) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grants No. 2022YFA1402201 and No. 2021YFA1601101).

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