スピンで表面反応を制御 ――水素の電子スピンの向きで表面吸着・反応確率が変化することを発見――

2026-09-03 東京大学,日本原子力研究開発機構,京都工芸繊維大学,大阪大学

ニッケル表面におけるスピンの向きに依存した水素吸着

＜関連情報＞

• https://www.jaea.go.jp/02/press2026/p26090301/
• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-77076-0

電子スピンによる水素原子の表面反応の制御 Controlling surface reactions of hydrogen atoms by the electron spin

Hirokazu Ueta,Hiroki Nakatsu,Yusei Ohashi,Fuka Watanabe,Zhen-Dong Sun,Takahiro Ozawa,Yoshio Miura,Wilson Agerico Diño & Katsuyuki Fukutani
Nature Communications  Published:03 September 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-77076-0

Abstract

Gas molecules possess various internal degrees of freedom. Whereas recent advances in surface dynamics have clarified the roles of translational, vibrational and rotational motion in gas-surface reactions, the effect of its electron spin on surface reactions remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate the spin dependence of H adsorption and abstraction reactions on a Ni surface using a spin-polarized atomic-hydrogen beam. The results indicate that H adsorption is suppressed when the H electron spin is oriented perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the Ni(111) surface. Furthermore, the same spin preference is observed for the H abstraction reaction on a D-covered surface. These findings suggest that controlling the spin orientation of molecules and surfaces by applying an external magnetic field provides a viable means to modulate surface reaction rates.