Dr. Manuel Gruber, one of the researchers, explains that they are able to keep the new compositions stable for multiple days by using a design trick that resembles the essential electronic circuits in computers, the so-called flip-flops. Bistability or switching between 0 and 1 is done by looping the output signal back to the input. The new molecules have three characteristics that are coupled with each other in such a feedback loop: their shape (flat or planar ), the closeness of two subunits, called coordination (yes or no), and the spin state (high-spin or low-spin). Therefore, the molecules are secured either in one or the other state. Upon sublimation and deposition on a silver surface, the switches self-assemble into highly ordered arrays. Each molecule in such a range can be separately addressed with a scanning tunneling microscope and switched between the states by applying a positive or negative voltage.

The newly developed switch can do things with only one molecule that would currently be done with several transistors an resistors in regular electronics. The scientists mentioned that the next step would be to further increase the complexity of their compounds. The developments in molecular spintronics are becoming increasingly more interesting. Who knows what the eventual limits will be. For now, significantly faster computing with lower power usage is on the horizon. We will follow the developments and keep you posted.

Source and further reading: Reversible coordination-induced spin-state switching in complexes on metal surfaces - Spintronics