Spin noise in Er3+ single-ion magnets surrounded by ferromagnetic microparticles

Abstract

Ferromagnetic microparticles significantly affect spin relaxation in the Er3+ single-ion magnet sandwiched in a composite material. The balance of thermal spin noise corresponding to Orbach, Raman, quantum tunneling, and direct relaxation channels is shifted in Er3+ complexes under the influence of surrounding ferromagnetic matrix. There are two competing sources of the electron spin noise controlled by ferromagnetic media. First, internal residual magnetic field delays spin relaxation in the Er3+ complexes due to the Zeeman interaction of the Er3+ spin even in the absence of external magnetic field. Second, chemical bonding between the Er 4d shell and the O 1s shell accelerates magnetic relaxation in the Er3+ ions on the surface of microparticles. Significance of these results is that composite media can be sliced into small elements with a variable frequency of spin noise depending on individual magnetization programmed within each element.