Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Optimizing Magnetic Force Microscopy Resolution and Sensitivity to Visualize Nanoscale Magnetic Domains
Published on: July 20, 2022
Tuning magnetic properties of Mn(4) cluster with gold coating
1School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. qwang@vcu.edu
Abstract:
The magnetic properties of transition metal clusters are a unique function of their size and differ from their bulk behavior due to quantum confinement. Here we show that surface modification provides another channel to tune their magnetic properties. This is demonstrated by taking Mn(4) as an example. Although Mn(4) carries a giant magnetic moment of 20 micro(B), the magnetic coupling can be tuned from ferromagnetic to ferrimagnetic by changing the number of gold atoms coated on its surface. We found that 26 gold atoms are needed to fully cover a Mn(4) cluster. When partially coated, the system exhibits ferromagnetic coupling with a total magnetic moment of 18 micro(B) and it becomes ferrimagnetic with a moment of 8 micro(B) when fully coated. This magnetic cross-over is caused by the shrinking of the Mn-Mn bond length, suggesting that the magnetic properties of a Mn(4) cluster can be tuned by controlling the surface coverage.
More Related Videos
10:45Stable Aqueous Suspensions of Manganese Ferrite Clusters with Tunable Nanoscale Dimension and Composition
Published on: February 5, 2022
06:49Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering of GdBa2Cu3O7−δ/ La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Quasi-bilayer Films on SrTiO3 (STO) Single-crystal Substrates
Published on: April 12, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
Valence Bond Theory