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Quantum spin systems

Spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains realized in π-electron systems

One-dimensional quantum magnets hosting correlated π-spins and collective quantum behaviour are synthesized through a combination of elegant precursor design and on-surface synthesis, highlighting the potential of designing π-electron-based quantum spin systems for future quantum technologies.

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Fig. 1: Spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chains built from monoradical nanographene units.

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Correspondence to Jiong Lu.

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Peng, X., Lu, J. Spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains realized in π-electron systems. Nat. Synth 4, 668–670 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-025-00757-z

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