Quenching of Magnetic Moments by Ligand-Metal Interactions in Nanosized Magnetic Metal Clusters

Abstract

Local density functional calculations and experimental magnetization studies on giant nickel carbonyl clusters are presented. The results show convincingly that the effect of the carbonyl ligation is to quench completely the magnetic moments of the nickel atoms at the surface of the clusters, leaving the inner-core metal atoms relatively unaffected. The relation with surface coating of magnetic particles for recording media is pointed out.