Spin sensor promises atomic-scale magnetic imaging

An exceptionally sensitive magnetic sensor could enable us to follow electrons’ quantum mechanical interplay more closely than ever before. Wilson Ho and Ruqian Wu from the University of California, Irvine, and their team studied spin–spin interactions using a nickelocene molecule mounted on their scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) tip. The scientists control this probe’s position with extreme precision, allowing ‘unprecedented control in measuring magnetic interactions’ Ho tells Chemistry World.