Electric Field as Switching Tool for Magnetic States in Atomic-Scale-Nanostructures

We present the state of the art ab initio studies of the effect of the external electric field on electronic, magnetic and transport properties of atomic-scale nanostructures on metal surfaces. We demonstrate a possibility of a local control and switching of magnetism in such nanostructures [1]. The effect of the electric field on surface-state electrons is discussed [2]. Our results reveal that the local spin-polarization of electrons and the local magnetoresistance on nanoislands can be tuned by the electric field [3,4]. Our studies give a clear evidence that an external surface charging can strongly affect substrate-mediated exchange interactions [5].\\[4pt] [1] N. N. Negulyaev, V.S. Stepanyuk, W. Hergert, J. Kirschner, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf106}, 037202 (2011)\\[0pt] [2] P.A. Ignatiev and V.S. Stepanyuk, Phys. Rev. B {\bf84}, 075421 (2011)\\[0pt] [3] H. Oka, P.A. Ignatiev, S. Wedekind, G. Rodary, L. Niebergall, V.S. Stepanyuk, D. Sander, J. Kirschner, Science {\bf327}, 843 (2010)\\[0pt] [4] P.A. Ignatiev, O.O. Brovko, V.S. Stepanyuk, Phys. Rev.B {\bf 86}, 045409 (2012) \\[0pt] [5] L. Juarez-Reyes, G.M. Pastor, V.S. Stepanyuk, Phys. Rev. B, in press