This new collaboration between a woman physicist at CUNY and a chemist at UC San Diego will focus on the synthesis and study of the magnetic properties of crystals composed of a large number of identical high-spin molecular clusters, such as Mn12 acetate. Their magnetic bistability makes such materials strong candidates as elements for high-density storage of information. The spin- tunneling in a double well potential that we have recently demonstrated makes them interesting from a fundamental standpoint, and offers the possibility that materials of this class could be used as elements for quantum computation. The aim of our studies is to synthesize new molecular crystals that will optimize properties for applications, and to gain a better understanding of their behavior. %%% This new collaboration between a woman physicist at CUNY and a chemist at UC San Diego will focus on the synthesis and study of molecular crystals composed of a large number of identical magnetic subunits, such as Mn12 acetate. Their magnetic bistability makes such materials strong candidates as elements for high-density storage of information. Their quantum mechanical properties at low temperatures are interesting for fundamental reasons, and also offer the possibility that they can be used in "quantum computers" which require elements that are simultaneously in a "yes" and "no" state. The aim of our studies is to synthesize new molecular crystals that will optimize properties for applications, and to gain a better understanding of their behavior. ***
