Suchergebnisse

Near edge X-ray absorption, valence and core-level photoemission, and density functional theory calculations are used to study molecular levels of tetracyano-2,3,5,6-tetrafluoroquinodimethane (FTCNQ) deposited on Ag(111) and BiAg/Ag(111). The high electron affinity of FTCNQ triggers a large static charge transfer from the substrate, and, more interestingly, hybridization with the substrate leads to a radical change of symmetry, shape, and energy of frontier molecular orbitals. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) shifts below the Fermi energy, becoming the new highest occupied molecular orbital (n-HOMO), whereas the n-LUMO is defined by a hybrid band with mixed π∗ and σ∗ symmetries, localized at quinone rings and cyano groups, respectively. The presence of Bi influences the way the molecule contacts the substrate with the cyano group. The molecule/surface distance is closer and the bond more extended over substrate atoms in FTCNQ/Ag(111), whereas in FTCNQ/BiAg/Ag(111) the distance is larger and the contact more localized on top of Bi. This does not significantly alter molecular levels, but it causes the respective absence or presence of optical excitations in FTCNQ core-level spectra. ; We acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy (Grants MAT2013-46593-C6-4-P, MAT2016-78293-C6-6-R, and FIS2016-75862-P) and Basque Government (Grants IT-621-13 and IT-756-13). P.B. acknowledges financial support from the EU-Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme through the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 658056. ; Peer Reviewed

Scattering of electrons by localized spins is the ultimate process enabling detection and control of the magnetic state of a spin-doped material. At the molecular scale, scattering is mediated by the orbitals hosting the spin. Here we report the selective excitation of a molecular spin by tunneling through different molecular orbitals. Spatially resolved tunneling spectra on iron-porphyrins reveal that the inelastic spin excitation extends beyond the iron site, changing shape and symmetry along the molecule. Combining density functional theory simulations with a phenomenological scattering model, we show that the extension and lineshape of the inelastic signal are due to excitation pathways assisted by different frontier orbitals. By selecting the intramolecular site for electron injection, the relative weight of iron and pyrrole orbitals in the tunneling process is modified. Thus, the excitation mechanism, reflected by its spectral lineshape, depends on the degree of localization and energy alignment of the chosen molecular orbital. ; This work has been funded by the COST 15128 Molecular Spintronics project, by Marie Curie IF ARTE, by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) through the cooperative grant No. MAT2016-78293 and grant No. FIS2016-75862-P, and by the Basque Government (Dep. Industry, Grant PI-2015-1-42, Dep. Education, Grant PI-2016-1-27 and Grant IT-756-13), the EU project PAMS (610446), and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). ; Peer reviewed

Scattering of electrons by localized spins is the ultimate process enabling detection and control of the magnetic state of a spin-doped material. At the molecular scale, scattering is mediated by the orbitals hosting the spin. Here we report the selective excitation of a molecular spin by tunneling through different molecular orbitals. Spatially resolved tunneling spectra on iron-porphyrins reveal that the inelastic spin excitation extends beyond the iron site, changing shape and symmetry along the molecule. Combining density functional theory simulations with a phenomenological scattering model, we show that the extension and lineshape of the inelastic signal are due to excitation pathways assisted by different frontier orbitals. By selecting the intramolecular site for electron injection, the relative weight of iron and pyrrole orbitals in the tunneling process is modified. Thus, the excitation mechanism, reflected by its spectral lineshape, depends on the degree of localization and energy alignment of the chosen molecular orbital. ; This work has been funded by the COST 15128 Molecular Spintronics project, by Marie Curie IF ARTE, by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) through the cooperative grant No. MAT2016-78293 and grant No. FIS2016-75862-P, and by the Basque Government (Dep. Industry, Grant PI-2015-1-42, Dep. Education, Grant PI-2016-1-27 and Grant IT-756-13), the EU project PAMS (610446), and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).