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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Scalable Nanohelices for Predictive Studies and Enhanced 3D Visualization
Published on: November 12, 2014
Using Hyperoptimized Tensor Networks and First-Principles Electronic Structure to Simulate the Experimental
Dian-Teng Chen, Phillip Helms1, Ashlyn R Hale
1Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States.
Abstract:
The single-molecule magnet {Mn84} is a challenge to theory because of its high nuclearity. We directly compute two experimentally accessible observables, the field-dependent magnetization up to 75 T and the temperature-dependent heat capacity, using parameter-free theory. In particular, we use first-principles calculations to derive short- and long-range exchange interactions and compute the exact partition function of the resulting classical Potts and Ising spin models for all 84 Mn S = 2 spins to obtain observables. The latter computation is made possible by using hyperoptimized tensor network contractions, a technique developed to simulate quantum supremacy circuits. We also synthesize the magnet and measure its heat capacity and magnetization, observing qualitative agreement between theory and experiment and identifying an unusual bump in the heat capacity and a plateau in the magnetization. Our work also identifies some limitations of current theoretical modeling in large magnets, such as sensitivity to small, long-range exchange couplings.
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