This research demonstrates spin transport direction control in single-molecule magnets, suggesting advanced applications in spintronics.
In molecular spintronics, achieving precise control over the spin polarization direction of transported electrons at the single‐molecule level remains a great challenge. This study addresses this challenge by leveraging the unique electronic structure of bipolar magnetic molecules (BMMs). By performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we designed and screened a series of transition metal complexes, identifying Cr(II)(BBM) 2 (where BBM is the 2,2′‐bibenzoimidazole anion) as a promising BMM candidate. Combining DFT with the non‐equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism, spin‐polarized quantum transport calculations were carried out on a molecular junction where Cr(II)(BBM) 2 was coupled to graphite electrodes. Our results demonstrate that the application of an external gate voltage enables reversible switching of the spin transport direction. A gate voltage of −5 V yields a 100% spin‐polarized current in the spin‐up channel. Conversely, a small positive gate voltage of +0.05 V results in a completely polarized spin‐down current. This gate‐controlled spin channel switching, achieved through rational molecular design, underscores the potential of BMMs as fundamental components for future ultra‐dense, low‐power spintronic devices.
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Bai et al. (2026) studied this question.
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