New paper published in J. Chem. Phys.

Our article, “Determination of zero-field splitting in magnetically diluted cobalt(II)-based single molecule magnets using circular dichroism Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy” was published online on 09-06-2026 in The Journal of Chemical Physics. Check it out.
Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) with total electron spin S = 3/2 are promising platforms for optical magnetization control, which requires precise determination of the energy splitting between Kramers doublets (E_ZFS). In this work, we propose a method for the rapid determination of E_ZFS without using a superconducting magnet. The method is based on circular dichroism of an SMM placed in a static external magnetic field and was implemented using a standard FTIR spectrometer with a sample holder modified by inserting a permanent magnet. Model Co(II)-based SMMs with a varying degree of magnetic dilution were investigated, and the results were confirmed by FD-FT THz-EPR. The obtained E_ZFS values of 43.4–43.6 cm⁻¹ pave the way for the resonant excitation of magnetic dipole transitions using narrowband sources and even for coherent control of magnetic quantum states.