Real-space imaging of several molecular layers of Cin the rotational glass phase.

Cis a model system to study molecule-surface interactions and phase transitions due to its high symmetry and strong covalentbonding within the molecule versus weak van-der-Waals coupling between neighboring molecules. In the solid, at room temperature, the molecule rotates and behaves as a sphere. However, the pentagonal and hexagonal atomic arrangement imposes deviations from the spherical symmetry that become important at low temperatures.

Switching the conductance of Dy nanocontacts by magnetostriction.

The electrical conductance G of mechanical break-junctions fabricated from the rare-earth metal dysprosium has been investigated at 4.2 K where Dy is in the ferromagnetic state. In addition to the usual variation of the conductance while breaking the wire mechanically, the conductance can be changed reproducibly by variation of the magnetic field H, due to the large magnetostriction of Dy.

Unusual Mn-Mn spin coupling in the polar intermetallic compounds CaMn2Sb2 and SrMn2Sb2.

Large single-crystals of two polar intermetallic phases, CaMn2Sb2 and SrMn2Sb2, have been grown using In or Sn as metal fluxes and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The two compounds are isostructural and crystallize with the CaAl2Si2 structure (space group P3m1, No. 164) with unit cell parameters determined at 120(2) K of a = 4.