Electric field control of the spin state in mixed-valence magnetic molecules

Abstract

Multiferroic molecules for spintronics: In a many-electron mixed-valence dimer with dominant double exchange, as compared with antiferromagnetic superexchange, the electric field is shown to induce a spin crossover from the ferromagnetic spin state to the antiferromagnetic one. This leads to a sharp decrease in the magnetic moment of the molecule and a simultaneous stepwise increase in the electric dipole (see figure).