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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Julien EngORCiD, Professor Thomas PenfoldORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Achieving ultrafast photomagnetic switching of single-molecule magnets (SMMs) could lead to simultaneous fast and dense data storage devices. To facilitate this, a thorough understanding of the ultrafast dynamics emerging after ultrashort laser pulse excitation is essential. However, the complex nature of these materials means there is a lack of established experimental techniques that can probe the spin dynamics in SMMs. Herein, we perform femtosecond time-resolved Mn K-edge X-ray emission spectroscopy on a Mn(III)-based trinuclear SMM (Mn3) and the model system Mn(acac)3. The spectral changes of Mn(acac)3 are consistent with switching between Jahn–Teller distorted structures expected after photoexcitation. A similar result is observed for Mn3; however, the Kβ signal also reveals insight into the distribution of spin states populated within 100 fs. The importance of using probes across the electromagnetic spectrum to gain a thorough understanding of the dynamics of exchange-coupled complexes is highlighted.
Author(s): Barlow K, Phelps R, Eng J, Ingle RA, Khakhulin D, Biednov M, Dutta S, Jiang Y, Lima FA, Tiwari V, Milne C, Katayama T, Coletta M, Brechin EK, Penfold TJ, Johansson O
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
Year: 2025
Volume: 16
Pages: 4148–4154
Print publication date: 21/04/2025
Online publication date: 17/04/2025
Acceptance date: 14/04/2025
Date deposited: 21/04/2025
ISSN (electronic): 1948-7185
Publisher: American Chemical Society
URL: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c00383
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c00383
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