Inelastic neutron scattering investigations of molecular nanomagnets

Inelastic neutron scattering, probing the temporal spin–spin correlation at the microscopic scale, is a powerful technique to study the magnetic behaviour of molecular nanomagnets. Experiments at different energy scales and different energy-transfer resolution allow precise determinations of the parameters defining the effective Hamiltonians used to model the diverse physical properties exhibited by this class of materials. The intrinsic disadvantage of the technique (low flux, requiring a sample mass in the gram scale) is over-compensated by the large amount of information that can be straightforwardly extracted. Zero-field splittings and exchange interactions can be determined with a large degree of confidence, shedding light on important issues such as magnetization tunnelling in giant-spin clusters, or the occurrence of quantum coherence phenomena and their consequences on macroscopic observables.

Inelastic neutron scattering allows precise determinations of the parameters defining the effective Hamiltonians used to model the physical properties of molecular nanomagnets. This paper reviews the results of selected experiments addressing the tunnelling of the magnetization in giant-spin clusters and the occurrence of quantum coherence phenomena in ring-shaped molecules.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide