Finite-temperature toroidal moment amenable to direct observation in an Fe$_{10}$Dy$_{10}$ molecular ring
Single-molecule toroics host closed magnetic vortices carrying toroidal moments τ, whose electric-dipole symmetry enables magnetoelectric spin control. Yet opposite toroidal chiralities are degenerate in conventional magnetic fields, making direct detection of τ challenging. Current approaches probe toroidal dynamics only indirectly through weak residual magnetism, while finite-temperature toroidal polarisation and realistic preparation/readout conditions remain unestablished. Here we show that the Fe$_{10}$Dy$_{10}$ molecule hosts a 62-billion-dimensional low-energy manifold pervaded by toroidal character, rendered tractable by an ab initio-informed transfer-matrix framework that reproduces experimental data. The model reveals a large toroidal response robust to thermal fluctuations, quantified by a finite-temperature toroidal susceptibility ξ. We then propose a preparation-and-readout protocol in which a train of temporally asymmetric near-infrared pulses accumulates toroidal polarisation, converted through magnetoelectric response into a measurable electric-field-induced magnetic signal. These results establish Fe10Dy10 as a molecular system where τ can be prepared, accumulated and read out under realistic conditions.
Authors
- Amer Baniodeh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0741-5079)
- Kieran Hymas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1761-4298)
- M. Affronte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5711-7822)
- Simone Calvello (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5025-2578)
- Alessandro Soncini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6779-7304)
- Yannik F. Schneider (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6435-3396)
- Christopher E. Anson
- Wolfgang Wernsdorfer
- Yanhua Lan
- Jonas Braun
- Annie K. Powell
Publication Details
- Journal
- KITopen
- Published
- 2026-09-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5445/ir/1000196907
- Primary Topic
- Magnetism in coordination complexes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00