Spin+Phonons: Exploring the interplay between spins and phonons of spin crossover materials and single-molecule magnets (A04)

• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 268565370

The project explores spin state switching in purposeful designed chiral and racemic spin crossover (SCO) molecules and molecular materials. Special focus is on light excited spin states and the identification of phonon modes, which are believed to steer the spin crossover process in these materials. For this purpose, we will measure iron density of phonon states with nuclear inelastic scattering (57Fe NIS) also in non-equilibrium conditions using sub-ns time resolved NIS and perform density functional theory calculations. In addition, we aim to identify phonons responsible for unwanted under barrier spin relaxation in Dy containing single molecular magnets using 161Dy NIS experiments.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 173: Spin+X: Spin in its collective environment
• Applicant Institution: Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau
• Project Heads: Professorin Dr. Eva Rentschler; Professor Dr. Volker Schünemann