Carbon nanotubes - detector of magnetic nano-objects

If a magnetic system is electronically coupled to a quantum dot, electron conduction through the dot may be influenced by the spin state of the magnet (magneto-Coulomb effect). I will present on the electrical transport measurements of such hybrid systems where a carbon nanotube is filled with magnetic nanoparticles such as iron (Fe). We find that low-temperature current-voltage measurements of the devices can show a hysteretic behavior in resistance with sharp jumps at certain magnetic fields.We explain the results in terms of the magneto-Coulomb effect (MCE) where the spin flip of the iron island at non-zero magnetic field causes an effective charge variation in the nanotube due to the Zeeman energy.