Electric field control of the exchange field of a single spin impurity on a surface

Abstract: Electric control of spins offers faster switching and more localized manipulation compared to magnetic fields. In this work, we investigate static electric field effects on electron spin resonance of single molecules and atoms using scanning tunneling microscopy. We observe significant resonance frequency shifts when varying the applied DC voltage. These shifts cannot be adequately explained by g-factor changes or adsorbate displacement. Instead, we propose a model based on the control of the magnetic exchange field exerted to the spin impurity by the static electric field, which accurately reproduces the static electric field dependence of the resonance frequency. Our work provides crucial insights into electric field influence on surface spins, advancing fundamental understanding for many quantum technologies with efficient spin control via electric fields.