Long-range magnetic coupling between nanoscale organic-metal hybrids mediated by a nanoskyrmion lattice

Abstract

The design of nanoscale organic-metal hybrids with tunable magnetic properties as well as the realization of controlled magnetic coupling between them open gateways for novel molecular spintronic devices. Progress in this direction requires a combination of a clever choice of organic and thin-film materials, advanced magnetic characterization techniques with a spatial resolution down to the atomic length scale, and a thorough understanding of magnetic properties based on first-principles calculations. Here, we make use of carbon-based systems of various nanoscale size, such as single coronene molecules and islands of graphene, deposited on a skyrmion lattice of a single atomic layer of iron on an iridium substrate, in order to tune the magnetic characteristics (for example, magnetic moments, magnetic anisotropies and coercive field strengths) of the organic-metal hybrids. Moreover, we demonstrate long-range magnetic coupling between individual organic-metal hybrids via the chiral magnetic skyrmion lattice, thereby offering viable routes towards spin information transmission between magnetically stable states in nanoscale dimensions.