Spin Echo Measurements with a Customized Electron Spin Resonance Spectrometer of an Atomic-clock Transition in the Molecular Nanomagnet Cr7Mn

ORAL

Abstract

Molecular nanomagnets are promising systems for quantum computation but such applications require sufficiently long coherence times (T2) to permit quantum logic operations. We report on the development of low-cost, customized instrumentation for measuring T2 in such molecules, as well as promising results from the spin-1 molecular nanomagnet Cr7Mn. We dilute Cr7Mn samples in toluene at concentrations between 0.00001% and 10% and perform spin echo measurements using our home-made electron-spin resonance spectrometer. This is achieved by coupling our samples to a loop-gap resonator with adjustable resonant frequency and irradiating with short (~100 ns) electromagnetic microwave pulses controlled by an FPGA. We observe spin echo and Rabi nutation from our sample and measure both T2 and T1, the spin-lattice relaxation time. Further, we find an enhancement of T2 by a factor of three at the avoided level crossing that occurs at zero field, evidence of an atomic-clock transition, where the dependence of the transition frequency on magnetic field vanishes to first order.

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Presenters

  • Kai-Isaak Ellers

    Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College

Authors

  • Kai-Isaak Ellers

    Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College

  • Gajadhar Joshi

    Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College

  • Charles Collett

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA, Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College

  • Jonathan Friedman

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA, Physics and Astronomy, Amherst College

  • Daniel Sava

    School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester UK, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Chemistry, University of Manchester

  • Grigore Timco

    School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester UK, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Chemistry, University of Manchester

  • Richard Winpenny

    University of Manchester, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester UK, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Chemistry, University of Manchester