Study of the fast photoswitching of spin crossover nanoparticles outside and inside their thermal hysteresis loop

We have studied the low spin to high spin phase transition induced by nanosecond laser pulses outside and within the thermal hysteresis loop of the [Fe(Htrz)(2) trz](BF4)(2)-H2O spin crossover nanoparticles. We demonstrate that, whatever the temperature of the compound, the photo-switching is achieved in less than 12.5 ns. Outside the hysteresis loop, the photo-induced high spin state remains up to 100 mu s and then relaxes. Within the thermal hysteresis loop, the photo-induced high spin state remains as long as the temperature of the sample is kept within the thermal loop. A Raman study indicates that the photo-switching can be completed using single laser pulse excitation. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4792527]