Anomalous excitations of atomically crafted quantum magnets

Abstract

High–energy resolution spectroscopic studies of quantum magnets proved extremely valuable in accessing magnetodynamics quantities, such as energy barriers, magnetic interactions, and lifetime of excited states. Here, we investigate a previously unexplored flavor of low-energy spin excitations for quantum spins coupled to an electron bath. In sharp contrast to the usual tunneling signature of two steps symmetrically centered around the Fermi level, we find a single step in the conductance. Combining time-dependent and many-body perturbation theories, magnetic field–dependent tunneling spectra are explained as the result of an interplay between weak magnetic anisotropy energy, magnetic interactions, and Stoner-like electron-hole excitations that are strongly dependent on the magnetic states of the nanostructures. The results are rationalized in terms of a noncollinear magnetic ground state and the dominance of ferro- and antiferromagnetic interactions. The atomically crafted nanomagnets offer an appealing model for the exploration of electrically pumped spin systems.