For powder samples of polynuclear metal complexes the dependence of the inelastic neutron scattering intensity on the momentum transfer Q is known to be described by a combination of so-called interference terms. They reflect the interplay between the geometrical structure of the compound and the spatial properties of the wave functions involved in the transition. In this work, it is shown that the Q dependence is strongly interrelated with the molecular symmetry of molecular nanomagnets and, if the molecular symmetry is high enough, is actually completely determined by it. A general formalism connecting spatial symmetry and interference terms is developed. The arguments are detailed for cyclic spin clusters, as experimentally realized by, e.g., the octanuclear molecular wheel ${\mathrm{Cr}}_8,$ and for the star like tetranuclear cluster ${\mathrm{Fe}}_4.$

• Received 21 April 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.68.174406