Spin-flip processes of polarons by magnetic impurities in conjugated polymers.

ABSTRACT

By employing an adaptive time-dependent density-matrix-renormalization-group method, the spin-flip process of polarons is investigated in a polymer chain with magnetic impurities. Being driven by an external electric field, a polaron carrying both spin 1/2 and charge +/-e moves at a constant speed in the polymer chain. When the polaron passes through a specific site, which couples to a magnetic impurity via spin-exchange interaction, a spin-flip process is observed if its spin is antiparallel to the impurity spin. Our results show that the spin-flip probability is enhanced by the on-site Coulomb interaction and increases with increase in the spin-exchange integral. Additionally, some possible applications of the spin-state swap between the polaron and the impurity are discussed.