Theoretical Basis for Switching a Kramers Single Molecular Magnet by Circularly-Polarized Radiation.

The -group Kramers ions, having strong zero field splitting (ZFS) with axial symmetry and a negative D value for the ZFS Hamiltonian, are widely considered as candidates for use as single molecular magnets (SMMs). An important need is the means to switch the SMM between its states in a reasonably short and predictable period of time, which is generally not available. We propose an approach, Zeeman-far infrared (ZeFIR) double resonance, in which circularly polarized alternating magnetic fields in the far infrared (FIR) range induce selective magnetic dipole transitions between different Kramers doublets of the SMM and polarized microwave (mw) pulses transfer excitation inside the upper Kramers doublet.

Analytical solution of the PELDOR inverse problem using the integral Mellin transform.

We describe a new model-free approach to solve the inverse problem in pulsed double electron-electron resonance (PELDOR, also known as DEER) spectroscopy and obtain the distance distribution function between two radicals from time-domain PELDOR data. The approach is based on analytical solutions of the Fredholm integral equations of the first kind using integral Mellin transforms to provide the distance distribution function directly. The approach appears to confine the noise in the computed distance distribution to short distances and does not introduce systematic distortions.

Electron spin dynamics and spin-lattice relaxation of trityl radicals in frozen solutions.

Electron spin-lattice relaxation of two trityl radicals, d24-OX063 and Finland trityl, were studied under conditions relevant to their use in dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). The dependence of relaxation kinetics on temperature up to 100 K and on concentration up to 60 mM was obtained at X- and W-bands (0.35 and 3.

Bloch equations for anisotropic paramagnetic centers with spin of 1/2.

The Bloch equations are an invaluable tool in magnetic resonance for describing the dynamics of isotropic spin systems. However, when the Bloch equations are reformulated for anisotropic spin systems, much of their utility is lost because the spin evolution they describe is not physically observable. A set of Bloch-like equations are derived for these anisotropic systems in terms of the magnetic moment which is the physical property measured in magnetic resonance and other experiments.

Spin dynamics of paramagnetic centers with anisotropic g tensor and spin of 1/2.

The influence of g tensor anisotropy on spin dynamics of paramagnetic centers having real or effective spin of 1/2 is studied. The g anisotropy affects both the excitation and the detection of EPR signals, producing noticeable differences between conventional continuous-wave (cw) EPR and pulsed EPR spectra. The magnitudes and directions of the spin and magnetic moment vectors are generally not proportional to each other, but are related to each other through the g tensor.

Dynamic phase shifts in nanoscale distance measurements by double electron electron resonance (DEER).

The off-resonant pump pulse used in double electron electron resonance (DEER) measurements produces dynamic phase shifts that are explained here by simple analytic and vector descriptions of the full range of signal behaviors observed during DEER measurements, including: large phase shifts in the signal; changes in the position and shape of the detected echo; and changes in the signal intensity. The dynamic phase shifts depend on the width, amplitude and offset frequency of the pump pulse. Isolated radicals as well as pairs or clusters of dipolar-coupled radicals have the same dynamic phase shift that is independent of pump pulse delay in a typical measurement.

Water concentration profiles in membranes measured by ESEEM of spin-labeled lipids.

Electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectroscopy of phospholipids spin-labeled systematically down the sn-2 chain was used to detect the penetration of water (D2O) into bilayer membranes of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine with and without 50 mol % cholesterol. Three-pulse stimulated echoes allow the resolution of two superimposed 2H-ESEEM spectral components of different widths, for spin labels located in the upper part of the lipid chains. Quantum chemical calculations (DFT) and ESEEM simulations assign the broad spectral component to one or two D2O molecules that are directly hydrogen bonded to the N-O group of the spin label.

Two-dimensional hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy: powder features for S=1/2, I=1.

The lineshapes of two-dimensional magnetic resonance spectra of disordered or partially ordered solids are dominated by ridges of singularities in the frequency plane. The positions of these ridges are described by a branch of mathematics known as catastrophe theory concerning the mapping of one 2D surface onto another. We systematically consider the characteristics of HYSCORE spectra for paramagnetic centers having electron spin S=1/2 and nuclear spin I=1 in terms of singularities using an exact solution of the nuclear spin Hamiltonian.