Probing the thiol-gold planar interface by spin polarized tunneling

Reports of induced magnetism at thiol-gold interface have generated considerable recent interest. In these studies, the sample magnetization was generally measured by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry which has limitation in determining surface and interface magnetism. In this work, we have fabricated planar tunnel junctions incorporating a thiol-gold interface. An observed room temperature humidity effect together with low temperature inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy confirmed the existence of a thiol-gold interface in the organic-inorganic hybrid heterostructure. Spin polarized tunneling measurements were performed to probe the spin polarization at the thiol-gold interface; however, the obtained spin polarized tunneling spectra indicate no measurable spin polarization at the thiol-gold interface.