Multiorbital Interactions and Spin Polarization in Single Rare-Earth Adatoms
Surface-adsorbed rare-earth nanostructures are ideal platforms to investigate the interplay between intra-atomic interactions and multiorbital spin configurations. However, addressing these properties has posed severe experimental and theoretical challenges. Here, we use the orbital selectivity offered by x-ray absorption spectroscopy to quantify the Coulomb integrals of Nd atoms on conductive surfaces directly from experimental quantities, as well as the variation of individual orbital occupation upon cluster nucleation. Using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism we identify magnetic moments of the order of 0.1-0.2 μ_{B} at the 5d orbitals and their magnetic coupling with the 4f spins. Our results validate orbital-resolved x-ray spectroscopy as a reliable method for quantifying complex multiorbital interactions in surface-adsorbed lanthanides.
Authors
- Aparajita Singha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6301-0394)
- Fabio Donati (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3932-2889)
- Deung-Jang Choi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6797-3953)
- Stefano Reale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1186-6232)
- Philippe Ohresser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8611-1753)
- Fabrice Scheurer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8764-9096)
- Nicolás Lorente (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0952-8031)
- Divya Jyoti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5280-8373)
- Fadi Choueikani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8047-9397)
- Edwige Otero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3546-3908)
- Jaehyun Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5777-7839)
- Roberto Robles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7808-0395)
- Karl J. Friston
Institutions
- Ikerbasque (ES)
- Ewha Womans University (KR)
- Synchrotron soleil (FR)
- Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research (DE)
- Institute for Basic Science (KR)
- Center for Quantum Nanoscience (KR)
- Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (FR)
- Material Physics Center (ES)
- Ewha Womans University Medical Center (KR)
- Donostia International Physics Center (ES)
- Université de Strasbourg (FR)
- Politecnico di Milano (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Letters
- Published
- 2025-07-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/mkqz-p424
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Condensed Matter Physics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00