Uniaxially Aligned 1D Sandwich-Molecular Wires: Electronic Structure and Magnetism

Sandwich-molecular wires consisting of europium and cyclooctatetraene (Cot) were grown in situ on the moiré of graphene with Ir(110). The moiré templates a uniaxial alignment of monolayer EuCot nanowire carpets and multilayer films with the EuCot wire axis along the [001] direction of the Ir substrate. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we investigate the band structure of the wire carpet films. While π-derived bands were not observed experimentally, we find a flat band 1.85 eV below the Fermi energy. Using density-functional theory and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and replacing europium through barium in the sandwich-molecular wires, it is concluded that the flat band is derived from Eu 4f states weakly mixed with Eu 5d states and slightly overlapping with Cot π states. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism is employed to characterize the magnetic properties of the EuCot wire carpet films at low temperatures. Clear evidence for an easy-axis magnetization along the wires is found.