The high-spin pseudotetrahedral complex [Co(C3S5)2]2− exhibits slow magnetic relaxation in the absence of an applied dc magnetic field, one of a small number of mononuclear complexes to display this property. Fits to low-temperature magnetization data indicate that this single-molecule magnet possesses a very large and negative uniaxial zero-field splitting and small rhombicity. The presence of single-molecule magnet behavior in a zero-nuclear spin ligand field offers the opportunity to investigate the potential for this molecule to be a candidate qubit, the smallest unit of a quantum information processing (QIP) system. Given lack of nuclear spins in the ligand field surrounding the paramagnetic spin center, known to be a prominent source of decoherence, the complex may exhibit the requisit properties to be a qubit. However, extensive electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments reveal the complex to be EPR silent and simulations of EPR spectra demonstrate that this molecule is unsuitable as a qubit due to the same factors that promote single molecule magnet behavior. The influence of rhombic and axial zero-field splitting on QIP applications is considered.

Transition metal single-molecule magnet in a nuclear spin-free ligand field environment

250th National Meeting (2015)

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