Observation of Kondo cloud-coupling in a mirror-symmetric carbon nanotube array-molybdenum structure
Magnetic impurities in a non-magnetic metal are screened by conduction electrons, forming a spin cloud known as a Kondo cloud. Experimental detection of this Kondo screening cloud in dilute magnetic alloys remains challenging. Here we show evidence of Kondo clouds and their coupling in devices composed of mirror-symmetric carbon nanotube arrays separated by a molybdenum strip. The Kondo effect in these devices depends sensitively on the width of the molybdenum strip. For widths of 0.3-1.2 micrometers and 1.5-3.0 micrometers, the Kondo temperature forms two plateaus at about 107.8 kelvin and 15.8 kelvin, respectively. These results are explained by the formation of Kondo clouds and by intra-edge and inter-edge coupling within molybdenum. Calculations based on a two-spin model reproduce the two plateaus and their crossover. These findings may open opportunities for applications in spintronics and quantum computing. When magnetic impurities are present in a metal, conduction electrons form a spin cloud, also termed a Kondo cloud. Here, the authors provide evidence of Kondo clouds and their coupling in devices made up of mirror-symmetric carbon nanotube arrays separated with a molybdenum strip.
Authors
- Zhongpu Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9853-784X)
- Enzheng Shi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1803-3858)
- Ziyi Han (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9456-9948)
- Yong Jun Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6645-5209)
- Zhisheng Peng
- Lianfeng Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8456-9491)
- Zheng Wei
- Liu Qian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3090-8404)
- Xiaoxu Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9746-3770)
- Jin Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3731-8859)
- Qing-Feng Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5512-9608)
- Yu-Hao Wan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3049-8355)
- Jian Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8026-1897)
- Weiguo Chu
Institutions
- Hefei University of Technology (CN)
- Westlake University (CN)
- Hefei University (CN)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter (CN)
- National Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology (CN)
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-05-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73493-3
- Primary Topic
- Carbon Nanotubes in Composites
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Westlake University
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
- Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality
- National Science and Technology Major Project
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences