Electronic structure of the quasi-one-dimensional halogen-bridged Ni complexes

Chemical pressure-induced PtIII-I Mott-Hubbard nanowire, [Pt(en)2I](Asp-Cn)2·H2O (13 ≤ n), detected via polarized infrared spectroscopy

The electronic states of iodo-bridged platinum nanowire complexes have been studied using polarized FT-IR spectroscopy. The N-H symmetrical stretching mode was found to be highly sensitive to the electronic states, distinguishing mixed-valence (MV) and averaged-valence (AV) states. The first Pt(III) nanowire complexes have been realized by the chemical pressures of the counter-anions.

Terahertz radiation by quantum interference of excitons in a one-dimensional Mott insulator

Nearly monocyclic terahertz waves are used for investigating elementary excitations and for controlling electronic states in solids. They are usually generated via second-order optical nonlinearity by injecting a femtosecond laser pulse into a nonlinear optical crystal. In this framework, however, it is difficult to control phase and frequency of terahertz waves. Here, we show that in a one-dimensional Mott insulator of a nickel-bromine chain compound a terahertz wave is generated with high efficiency via strong electron modulations due to quantum interference between odd-parity and even-parity excitons produced by two-color femtosecond pulses. Using this method, one can control all of the phase, frequency, and amplitude of terahertz waves by adjusting the creation-time difference of two excitons with attosecond accuracy. This approach enables to evaluate the phase-relaxation time of excitons under strong electron correlations in Mott insulators. Moreover, phase- and frequency-controlled terahertz pulses are beneficial for coherent electronic-state controls with nearly monocyclic terahertz waves.

Charge-bistable Pd(iii)/Pd(ii,iv) coordination polymers: phase transitions and their applications to optical properties

This paper reviews the recent progress in charge-bistable Pd(iii)/Pd(ii,iv) coordination polymers (MX chains). The temperature-, pressure- and photo-induced phase transitions have been demonstrated, proposing MX chains as a material for optical switching devices.

Bromide-bridged palladium(iii) chain complexes showing charge bistability near room temperature

We synthesized and characterized bromide-bridged Pd(iii) chain complexes, [Pd(en)₂Br](MalC_n–Y)₂·H₂O (en = ethylenediamine; MalC_n–Y = dialkyl sulfomalonate; n: the number of carbon atoms) (n = 7 and 12), which were in averaged valence states at room temperature.

Stabilization of Pd(III) states in nano-wire coordination complexes

In spite of a long history of quasi-one-dimensional halogen-bridged complexes (MX-chains), all Pt and Pd complexes form the charge-density wave (CDW) state (-X...M(II)...X-M(IV)-X...), while all Ni complexes form Mott-Hubbard (MH) states (-X-Ni(III)-X-Ni(III)-X-), without exception. We have succeeded in stabilizing the Pd(iii) MH state for the first time by utilizing the following two methods: partial substitution with Ni(iii) ions, [Ni(1-x)Pd(x)(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2), and chemical pressure via long alkyl chains introduced as counter-anions, [Pd(en)(2)Br](C(n)-Y)(2).H(2)O. In both systems, it has been revealed that the electronic state of bromo-bridged Pd compounds are determined by the PdPd distances, in other words, CDW and MH states are stabilized when PdPd distances are longer and shorter than 5.26 A, respectively.

Effect of an in-plane ligand on the electronic structures of bromo-bridged nano-wire Ni-Pd mixed-metal complexes, [Ni(1-x)Pd(x)(bn)2Br]Br2 (bn = 2S,3S-diaminobutane)

Single crystals of quasi-one-dimensional bromo-bridged Ni-Pd mixed-metal complexes with 2S,3S-diaminobutane (bn) as an in-plane ligand, [Ni(1-x)Pd(x)(bn)(2)Br]Br(2), were obtained by using an electrochemical oxidation method involving mixed methanol/2-propanol (1:1) solutions containing different ratios of [Ni(II)(bn)(2)]Br(2) and [Pd(II)(bn)(2)]Br(2). To investigate the competition between the electron-correlation of the Ni(III) states, or Mott-Hubbard states (MH), and the electron-phonon interaction of the Pd(II)-Pd(IV) mixed valence states, or charge-density-wave states (CDW), in the Ni-Pd mixed-metal compounds, X-ray structure analyses, X-ray oscillation photograph, and Raman, IR, ESR, and single-crystal reflectance spectra were analyzed. In addition, the local electronic structures of Ni-Pd mixed-metal single crystals were directly investigated by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at room temperature and ambient pressure. The oxidation states of [Ni(1-x)Pd(x)(bn)(2)Br]Br(2) changed from a M(II)-M(IV) mixed valence state to a M(III) MH state at a critical mixing ratio (x(c)) of approximately 0.8, which is lower than that of [Ni(1-x)Pd(x)(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2) (chxn = 1R,2R-diaminocyclohexane) (x(c) approximately 0.9) reported previously. The lower value of x(c) for [Ni(1-x)Pd(x)(bn)(2)Br]Br(2) can be explained by the difference in their CDW dimensionalities because the three-dimensional CDW ordering in [Pd(bn)(2)Br]Br(2) observed by using X-ray diffuse scattering stabilizes the Pd(II)-Pd(IV) mixed valence state more than two-dimensional CDW ordering in [Pd(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2) does, which has been reported previously.

Direct observation of excitons and a continuum of one-dimensional Mott insulators: a reflection-type third-harmonic-generation study of Ni-halogen chain compounds

The third-harmonic-generation (THG) spectrum was measured for a NiBr-chain compound, which is a one-dimensional Mott insulator, in a reflection configuration. A sharp peak and a shoulder structure in the THG spectrum are attributed to three-photon resonance to an exciton and a continuum, respectively. The band-edge energy, the exciton binding energy, and the spectral weights for the exciton and the continuum were determined from comparative studies of linear absorption, THG, and electroreflectance spectra. The excitonic effect is more pronounced in the NiCl chain than in the NiBr chain.

Ultrafast optical switching to a metallic state by photoinduced mott transition in a halogen-bridged nickel-chain compound

We demonstrate the ultrafast photoinduced Mott transition from a charge transfer insulator to a metal in a halogen-bridged Ni-chain compound by pump-probe reflection spectroscopy. Upon the irradiation of a 130-femtosecond laser pulse, the spectral weight of the gap transition is transferred to the inner-gap region. When the photoexcitation density exceeds 0.1/Ni site, the Drude-like high-reflection band appears in the infrared region, signaling the formation of a metallic state. The photogeneration of the metallic state and the subsequent recovery to the original gapped state occur within a few picoseconds.

Angle-resolved photoemission study of the MX-chain compound [Ni(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2): spin-charge separation in hybridized d-p chains

We report on the results of angle-resolved photoemission experiments on a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) MX-chain compound [Ni(chxn)2Br]Br2, which shows a gigantic nonlinear optical effect. A "band" having about 500 meV energy dispersion is found in the first half of the Brillouin zone, but disappears at kb/pi approximately 1/2. These spectral features are well reproduced by the d-p chain model with a small charge-transfer energy Delta compared with that of 1D Cu-O compounds. We propose that this smaller Delta is the origin of the absence of clear spin-charge separation in the photoemission spectra and the strong nonlinear optical effect.

Tuning of electronic structures of quasi-one-dimensional bromo-bridged Ni(III) complexes with strong electron-correlation by doping of Co(III) ions, [Ni(1-x)Co(x)(Chxn)(2)Br]Br(2)

We have succeeded in synthesizing the Ni(III) complexes doped by Co(III) ions, [Ni(1-x)Co(x)(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2) (x = 0, 0.043, 0.093, and 0.118) by using an electrochemical oxidation method. The single-crystal reflectance spectrum of x = 0.118 shows an intense CT band about 0.5 eV, which is lower than that of [Ni(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2) (1.3 eV). The single-crystal electrical conductivities at room temperature of these compounds increase with increase of the amounts of doping of Co(III) ions. In the ESR spectra, peak-to-peak line widths DeltaH(pp) at room temperature change about 600 G in [Ni(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2) to 200 G in x = 0.118. Such a large x dependence of DeltaH(pp) seems to be ascribed to the increasing contribution from the increasing Curie spins which have smaller line width. Therefore, we have tuned the electronic structures of quasi-one-dimensional bromo-bridged Ni(III) complexes with strong electron correlations by doping of Co(III) ions.

Origin of giant optical nonlinearity in charge-transfer-mott insulators: a new paradigm for nonlinear optics

Neither pure Mott insulators nor pure charge-transfer insulators have ever been considered as a possible candidate for nonlinear optical (NLO) materials since individually neither the strong correlation (U) nor the large charge transfer (Delta) is favorable to the NLO response. However, in their composites, charge-transfer-Mott insulators, jointly Delta and U can enhance the hyperpolarizability (gamma) by guiding the ground states into the antiferromagnetic phase and the excited states into the charge-transfer phase. These Delta and U that maximize gamma form a unique golden Delta-U line, on which the recently observed giant nonlinear optical effect is just a single point, whose physical origin is that the system is driven into a phase-separated region for the ground and excited states. This novel mechanism may suggest a conceptually new paradigm to explore an even larger optical nonlinearity.

Gigantic optical nonlinearity in one-dimensional Mott-Hubbard insulators

The realization of all-optical switching, modulating and computing devices is an important goal in modern optical technology. Nonlinear optical materials with large third-order nonlinear susceptibilities (chi(3)) are indispensable for such devices, because the magnitude of this quantity dominates the device performance. A key strategy in the development of new materials with large nonlinear susceptibilities is the exploration of quasi-one-dimensional systems, or 'quantum wires'--the quantum confinement of electron-hole motion in one-dimensional space can enhance chi(3). Two types of chemically synthesized quantum wires have been extensively studied: the band insulators of silicon polymers, and Peierls insulators of pi-conjugated polymers and platinum halides. In these systems, chi(3) values of 10(-12) to 10(-7) e.s.u. (electrostatic system of units) have been reported. Here we demonstrate an anomalous enhancement of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility in a different category of quantum wires: one-dimensional Mott insulators of 3d transition-metal oxides and halides. By analysing the electroreflectance spectra of these compounds, we measure chi(3) values in the range 10(-8) to 10(-5) e.s.u. The anomalous enhancement results from a large dipole moment between the lowest two excited states of these systems.

Tuning of Charge Density Wave Strengths by Competition between Electron-Phonon Interaction of Pd(II)-Pd(IV) Mixed-Valence States and Electron Correlation of Ni(III) States in Quasi-One-Dimensional Bromo-Bridged Ni-Pd Mixed-Metal MX Chain Compounds Ni(1)(-)(x)()Pd(x)()(chxn)(2)Br(3)

A series of single crystals of quasi-one-dimensional bromo-bridged Ni-Pd mixed-metal MX chain compounds Ni(1)(-)(x)()Pd(x)()(chxn)(2)Br(3) (chxn = 1(R),2(R)-diaminocyclohexane) have been obtained by electrochemical oxidation methods of the mixed methanol solutions of parent Ni(II) complex [Ni(chxn)(2)]Br(2) and Pd(II) complex [Pd(chxn)(2)]Br(2) with various mixing ratios. To investigate the competition between the electron correlation of the Ni(III) states (or spin density wave states) and the electron-phonon interaction of the Pd(II)-Pd(IV) mixed-valence states (or charge density wave states) in the Ni-Pd mixed-metal compounds, IR, Raman, ESR, XP, and Auger spectra have been measured. The IR, resonance Raman, XP, and Auger spectra show that the Pd(II)-Pd(IV) mixed-valence states are influenced and gradually approach the Pd(III) states with the increase of the Ni(III) components. This means that in these compounds the electron-phonon interaction in the Pd(II)-Pd(IV) mixed-valence states is weakened with the strong electron correlation in the Ni(III) states.

Tuning of Spin Density Wave Strengths in Quasi-One-Dimensional Halogen-Bridged Ni(III) Complexes with Strong Electron Correlations, [Ni(III)(chxn)(2)X]Y(2)

A series of quasi-one-dimensional halogen-bridged Ni(III) complexes, [Ni(chxn)(2)X]Y(2) (chxn = 1R,2R-diaminocyclohexane; X = Cl, Br, and mixed halides; Y = Cl, Br, mixed halides, NO(3), BF(4), and ClO(4)) have been synthesized in order to investigate the effect of the bridging halogens and counteranions on their crystal, electronic structures, and moreover the spin density wave strengths. In the crystal structures, the [Ni(chxn)(2)] moieties are symmetrically bridged by halogen ions, forming linear-chain Ni(III)-X-Ni(III) structures. The hydrogen bonds between the aminohydrogens of chxn and the counteranions are constructed not only along the chains but also over the chains, forming the two-dimensional hydrogen-bond networks. While the Ni(III)-X-Ni(III) distances or b axes are almost constant in the compounds with the same bridging halogens, the c axes which correspond to the interchain distances in the directions of the interchain hydrogen bonds are remarkably lengthened with the increase of the ionic radius of the counterions; X < NO(3) < BF(4) < ClO(4). These compounds show the very strong antiferromagnetic interactions among spins on Ni 3d(z)2 orbitals through the superexchange mechanisms via the bridging halogen ions. Judging from the results of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Auger spectra, and single-crystal reflectance spectra, these Ni compounds are not Mott-insulators but charge-transfer-insulators. Their electronic structures or the spin density wave strengths are found to be tuned by the combinations of the counteranions and the bridging halogens.