Optical spin manipulation for minimal magnetic logic operations in metallic three-center magnetic clusters

We present a first-principles scenario where a realistic three-magnetic-center metallic cluster acts as a prototypic magnetic-logic element within the frame of a unified optically induced spin manipulation. We find that the spins of the energetically low-lying triplet states of a Ni3 Na2 cluster are always localized at a single magnetic center and that controlled spin flips and transfers are possible within a hundred femtoseconds with suitable static external magnetic field and laser pulses. The magnetic state or the position of the spins and the static magnetic field can be used as input bits while the output bit is the final state of the magnetic centers, thus the gates AND, OR, XOR (CNOT), and NAND can be built.