Unprecedented switching endurance affords for high-resolution surface temperature mapping using a spin-crossover film
Karl Ridier, Alin-Ciprian Bas, Yuteng Zhang, Lucie Routaboul, Lionel Salmon, Gábor Molnár, Christian Bergaud, Azzedine Bousseksou
Abstract
Abstract Temperature measurement at the nanoscale is of paramount importance in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, and calls for the development of versatile, high-resolution thermometry techniques. Here, the working principle and quantitative performance of a cost-effective nanothermometer are experimentally demonstrated, using a molecular spin-crossover thin film as a surface temperature sensor, probed optically. We evidence highly reliable thermometric performance (diffraction-limited sub-µm spatial, µs temporal and 1 °C thermal resolution), which stems to a large extent from the unprecedented quality of the vacuum-deposited thin films of the molecular complex [Fe(HB(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl) 3 ) 2 ] used in this work, in terms of fabrication and switching endurance (>10 7 thermal cycles in ambient air). As such, our results not only afford for a fully-fledged nanothermometry method, but set also a forthcoming stage in spin-crossover research, which has awaited, since the visionary ideas of Olivier Kahn in the 90’s, a real-world, technological application.