Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 89: Spins on surfaces at the atomic scale II
O 89.5: Talk
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 16:00–16:15, WILL/A317
Crystal field manipulation of magnetic atoms on an insulating surface — •Julian Zeitler1, Johannes Schust1, Nicolaj Betz1,2, Lara Mezger1, Lukas Veldman1, Laëtitia Farinacci1,3, Fernando Delgado4, Philip Willke5, Sebastian Loth1,2, and Susanne Baumann1 — 1University of Stuttgart, Institute for Functional Matter and Quantum Technologies. — 2Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), University of Stuttgart. — 3Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung Center for Quantum Photonics Jena - Stuttgart - Ulm. — 4Instituto de Estudios Avanzados IUDEA, Departamento de Física, Universidad de La Laguna. — 5Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Physikalisches Institut.
The magnetic behavior of ions in solid-state materials is predominantly driven by their immediate atomic-scale environment. The specific arrangement of surrounding charges creates a crystal field (CF), which alters and mixes the electronic states. For magnetic atoms on insulating thin films, this CF is strongly influenced by the atom's adsorption site on the underlying lattice. Using combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), we investigate the CF influence on magnetic atoms on thin-film MgO and use tip-atom forces to precisely reposition the atoms within their binding sites, thereby tuning the CF. We quantify changes of the local binding geometry by combining our measurements with multiplet calculations. Our measurements pave the way for harnessing magneto-elastic effects in individual atoms either by manipulating their magnetic properties via electric fields or local forces, such as mechanical strain.
Keywords: magnetolasticity; multiplet calculations; spins on surfaces; scanning tunneling microscopy