Interactions Between Mn₁2-ac and Thin Gold Films: Using Mn₁2-ac as Scattering Centers

We explore the electronic interactions between a thin gold film and a surface layer of the molecular magnet Mn_12-acetate. Magnetoresistance measurements of the gold allow characterization of the interactions by comparison with the theoretical predictions of weak localization. We find that the presence of Mn_12-acetate on the surface of the gold film leads to a reduction in elastic scattering while increasing the spin scattering of the conduction electrons. This is the first experimental evidence of molecular magnets being used as scattering centers for an adjacent metallic film.