TAILORING FERROMAGNET-MOLECULE INTERFACES: TOWARDS MOLECULAR SPINTRONICS

Understanding the interaction of organic molecules adsorbed on magnetic surfaces has shown considerable progress in recent years. The creation of hybridized interface between carbon-based aromatic molecule and the magnetic surface is observed to give rise to new interface states with unique electronic and magnetic character. This study has opened up a molecular-design initiative to tailor the spin dependent electronic and magnetic functionalities of the hybrid interface. The purpose of this article is to provide a fundamental understanding of the spin-chemistry and spin-physics associated with the formation of such ferromagnet-molecule hybrid interfaces. We also discuss the recent progress in this field using state-of-the-art experiments and theoretical calculations with focus on the magnetic properties of the molecule and the magnetic surface. The study reveals several interesting interface phenomena: formation of induced molecular moment and exchange coupling with the magnetic surface, and molecular spin-filters. It also demonstrates significant changes in the magnetic anisotropy and inter-atomic magnetic exchange coupling of the magnetic surface. These studies open the possibilities of exploring new molecular functionalities toward further research in the sub field of interface-assisted molecular spintronics.