Exploring the phase diagram of the two-impurity Kondo problem

Exploring the phase diagram of the two-impurity Kondo problem

Spinelli, A.
Gerrits, M.
Toskovic, R.
Bryant, B.
Ternes, M.
Otte, A.F.

Applied Sciences

QN/Quantum Nanoscience

2015-11-30

A system of two exchange-coupled Kondo impurities in a magnetic field gives rise to a rich phase space hosting a multitude of correlated phenomena. Magnetic atoms on surfaces probed through scanning tunnelling microscopy provide an excellent platform to investigate coupled impurities, but typical high Kondo temperatures prevent field-dependent studies from being performed, rendering large parts of the phase space inaccessible. We present a study of pairs of Co atoms on insulating Cu2N/Cu(100), which each have a Kondo temperature of only 2.6?K. The pairs are designed to have interaction strengths similar to the Kondo temperature. By applying a sufficiently strong magnetic field, we are able to access a new phase in which the two coupled impurities are simultaneously screened. Comparison of differential conductance spectra taken on the atoms to simulated curves, calculated using a third-order transport model, allows us to independently determine the degree of Kondo screening in each phase.

physical sciences
condensed matter

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:66be1c98-5648-4a58-a98c-dc31a4a90106

2041-1723

https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10046

Nature Communications, 6, 2015

Institutional Repository

journal article

(c) 2015 CC BY - This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.