Spin crossover and

segregation:
Tales from the surface
Mohammad Zaid Zaz
Physics and Astronomy
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Motivation
• Promising for applications in energy efficient logic and memory.
• Non-volatile
• Can implement logic with a significantly reduced number of elements
• Host of other applications in sensing.
But why do “WE” care?
• Exhibit rich physics such as:
• Strong spin-orbit interaction
• Magneto-electric coupling
• Strong co-operative effects
Background
• Try measuring the transition temperature using a SQUID or VSM
magnetometer.
Background
• Try measuring the transition temperature using a SQUID or VSM
magnetometer.
• Now try XPS or XAS

Dhingra et.al Dalton Trans., 2023, 52, 10305-10309

Background
• More often than not, they do not agree!

• Is this something to be frowned upon?

Surface is different from the Bulk.
• Usually, physical properties at the surface are radically different from
the bulk.
• Thermodynamics dictates that to be the case.
• This usually leads to interesting physics.
Fe(III) spin-crossover salts.
• We will talk about results obtained for
• [Fe(qsal)_2][Ni(dmit)_2]
• [Fe(qsal)_2][Pd(dmit)_2]

• Both are Fe(III) SCO salts and have a gradual spin state transition well
below room temperature.
Bulk vs surface composition
• [Fe(qsal)_2][Ni(dmit)_2]
• Bulk atomic ratio: 1:1
• Surface atomic ratio 0.65:1
• [Fe(qsal)_2][Pd(dmit)_2]
• Bulk atomic ratio: 2:1
• Surface atomic ratio 1.2:1
Bulk vs Surface composition
Surface vs Bulk spin state.
Surface vs Bulk spin state.