Active Control of Molecular Spins: From Redox Switching to Light-Activated Qubit Coupling

Achieving active, reversible control over spin states and spin–spin interactions is a primary challenge in molecular magnetism. Recent breakthroughs demonstrate that optical and chemical stimuli can successfully drive functional, addressable spin systems.

Specifically, optical excitation enables light-activated qubit coupling and tunable exchange interactions in a vanadyl porphyrin dimer and trimer, where in silico modeling reveals that molecule@surface hybridization critically modulates coherence and addressability for solid-state integration. Complementarily, selective redox doping, unveiled by in silico investigation, serves as an electrical switch to reversibly toggle single-molecule magnetism, altering magnetic exchange and anisotropy without disrupting the molecular framework.

Together, these strategies establish a robust framework for operable molecular magnetism. By bridging molecular design, surface science, and quantum control, these multi-stimuli approaches pave the way for dynamic, surface-supported architectures tailored for next-generation spintronics and quantum technologies.