Stern–Gerlach deflection of cryogenically cold polyatomic molecules in superfluid nanodroplets
Abstract
Beam deflection is capable of providing valuable information about the magnetic moments of molecules and clusters and about the relaxation dynamics of their spins. However, observations have been hampered by magnetic couplings to excited vibrational and rotational states of polyatomic systems, which are challenging to control, characterize, and systematize. In this work, we carried out deflection measurements on superfluid helium nanodroplets doped with high-spin FeCl2 and CoCl2 molecules and their complexes. This enabled quantitative determination of the magnetic moments of molecules and clusters at extremely low, and fully defined, temperature of all of their degrees of freedom. The spin magnetic moments become thermalized and oriented along the applied field. Dimers and trimers are found to be antiferromagnetically ordered. The issue of rates and mechanisms of molecular spin relaxation within the cryogenic helium matrix is highlighted.
Article Details
Journal Info
The Journal of Chemical Physics
American Institute of Physics
Authors (6)
Benjamin S. Kamerin
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California 90089-0484,
Thomas H. Villers
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California 90089-0484,
John W. Niman
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California 90089-0484,
Jiahao Liang
Angel I. Pena Dominguez
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California 90089-0484,
Vitaly V. Kresin
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California 90089-0484,