Magnetic order and long-range interactions in mesoscopic Ising chains

We investigate the design of magnetic ordering in one-dimensional mesoscopic magnetic Ising chains by modulating long-range interactions. These interactions are affected by geometrical modifications to the chain, which adjust the energy hierarchy and the resulting magnetic ground states. Consequently, the magnetic ordering can be tuned between antiferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic dimer phases. These phases are experimentally observed in chains fabricated using both conventional electron-beam lithography and ion implantation techniques, demonstrating the feasibility of controlling magnetic properties at the mesoscale. The ability of attaining these magnetic structures by thermal annealing, underlines the potential of using such systems instead of simulated annealers in tackling combinatorial optimization tasks.