Single-molecule spin devices set to revolutionize quantum computing and low-power electronics

The manipulation of individual molecules to harness electron spin—a quantum property that could redefine computing—is rapidly emerging as a frontier in next-generation electronics. A comprehensive new review published in Nano Research explores how single-molecule spin devices are poised to transform this vision into reality, offering a pathway toward ultra-compact, low-power spintronic technologies and molecular-scale quantum information processing.

 

A collaborative team of scientists led by Xuefeng Guo from Peking University and Chuancheng Jia from Nankai University, together with colleagues from The University of Hong Kong and Beijing Institute of Technology, has systematically outlined the state of single-molecule spintronics to advance the field. The review, titled “Single-Molecule Spin Devices: Fundamentals, Advances, and Prospects,” provides a roadmap for encoding, manipulating and detecting spin at the ultimate limit of miniaturization—the single molecule.

 

The review was published online on April 27, 2026 in Nano Research.

 

“Single-molecule spintronics represents a paradigm shift in how we think about information processing,” said Xuefeng Guo, corresponding author of the review and a professor at the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University. “By encoding, manipulating, and detecting electron spin at the level of individual molecules, we can potentially overcome the limitations of conventional electronics and create devices that are not only smaller but also far more energy-efficient.”

 

At the heart of these devices are molecular systems that possess intrinsic spin—such as single-molecule magnets, spin-crossover complexes, organic radicals, and chiral molecules. Their unique quantum characteristics, including large magnetic anisotropy, switchable spin states, and the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect, make them ideal platforms for investigating fundamental spin phenomena. The integration of these molecules into junctions with advanced measurement techniques—like spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and electron spin resonance—has enabled researchers to observe and control spin transport, coherence, and many-body effects at the atomic scale.

 

The review highlights a range of spin-related quantum effects that have been demonstrated in single-molecule devices. These include the Kondo effect, where conduction electrons screen a local magnetic moment to produce a characteristic zero-bias conductance peak; spin filtering through magnetic orbitals or quantum interference; spin thermoelectric effects that convert temperature gradients into pure spin currents; and electrically tunable spin coupling. Such effects have been harnessed to create functional device prototypes, including spin valves with magnetoresistance ratios exceeding 1800%, spin switches operable at room temperature, and molecular spin qubits with microsecond coherence times.

 

“By correlating molecular design with quantum transport mechanisms, we can create a comprehensive roadmap for developing practical devices,” added Chuancheng Jia, professor at the Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Nankai University. “This molecular-level control over spin states opens up possibilities for quantum information processing platforms that operate at scales previously confined to science fiction.”

 

One of the critical challenges in the field is device reproducibility and stability. Variations in binding geometry, local electrostatic environment, and molecule-electrode coupling can lead to significant fluctuations in spin readout and control. To address this, the team advocates for large-scale statistical measurements, standardized reference molecules, and the use of two-dimensional electrodes with van der Waals gaps to improve interface quality. For quantum applications, isotopic purification and engineering of clock transitions may extend coherence times, while integration with microwave resonators could enable coherent coupling to photons.

 

The researchers expect the review to accelerate the development of molecular spin‑based technologies that could eventually complement or surpass conventional silicon electronics. “In the same molecular junction, we can envision integrating memory, logic, and sensing functions by exploiting different spin degrees of freedom,” said Mingliang Li, corresponding author from the University of Hong Kong and Beijing Institute of Technology. “With continued advances in molecular design, interfacial engineering, and quantum-coherent control, single-molecule spin devices are poised to evolve from precision testbeds into functional building blocks for low-power spin logic and chemically defined quantum technologies.”

 

Other contributors include Yuzhe Zhang, Wei Si, Xukui Hou, Qinghua Gao, Cong Zhao, Ruizhi Liang, Jie Guo, and Chuancheng Jia, all from the Center of Single-Molecule Sciences at Nankai University (affiliated with the Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, and the Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering); and Mingliang Li, from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Hong Kong and the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology.

 

This work was financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2024YFA1208100, 2021YFA1200102, 2021YFA1200101, and 2023YFF1205803), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22595390 and 22173050), Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS-CXXM-202407), and Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Disciplines Breakthrough Plan of the Ministry of Education of China (JYB2025XDXM404).

 

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About Nano Research

Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 8,000 articles. In 2025 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2025 IF is 9.4 (8.3, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.

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