Stabilizing the magnetic moment of single holmium atoms by symmetry

摘要: Single magnetic atoms on non-magnetic surfaces have moments that are usually destabilized within a microsecond, too speedily to be useful, but here the of single holmium highly conductive metallic substrate can reach lifetimes order minutes. The individual attractive components for both memory and quantum computing applications. But interactions between such substrates which they mounted tend destabilize moments, giving them typically less than few milliseconds. Toshio Miyamachi colleagues now identified system consisting lanthanide series rare earth element surface, in intrinsic symmetries related properties atom combine minimize these destabilizing interactions. As result, achieve several atoms, assemblies recently attracted attention owing their potential use high-density data storage as platform computing1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. A fundamental problem resulting from mechanical nature is localized easily by with electrons, nuclear spins lattice vibrations substrate3,4,5. Even when large fields applied stabilize moment, observed remain rather short5,6 (less microsecond). Several routes stabilizing moment against fluctuations been suggested, using thin insulating layers suppress substrate’s conduction electrons2,3,5, or coupling together reduce fluctuations7,8. Here we show necessary decoupling thermal bath achieved remarkable combination system: time reversal symmetry, internal total angular momentum point symmetry local environment atom.