Electronic surface states on Pd(110): Theory and comparison with experiment

A relativistic Green function formalism has been applied to calculate layer-projected densities of states on Pd(110). In particular, we obtained unoccupied surface states and their dispersion relations along two directions in the surface Brillouin zone. Good agreement with recent inverse photoemission data is reached by using an energy-dependent dynamical surface potential barrier, which is based on a simple electron-plasmon interaction model, instead of a static surface barrier.     

Electron and positron pair emission by low energy positron impact on surfaces

The emission of electron pairs from surfaces has the power to reveal details about the electron–electron interaction in condensed matter. This process, stimulated by a primary electron or photon beam, has been studied both in experiment and theory over the last two decades. An additional pathway, namely positron–electron pair emission, holds the promise to provide additional information. It is based on the notion that the Pauli exclusion principle does not need to be considered for this process.We have commissioned a laboratory based positron source and performed a systematic study on a variety of solid surfaces. In a symmetric emission geometry we can explore the fact that positron and electron are distinguishable particles. Following fundamental symmetry arguments we have to expect that the available energy is shared unequally among positron and electron. Experimentally we observe such a behavior for all materials studied. We find an universal feature for all materials in the sense that on average the positron carries a larger fraction of the available energy. This is qualitatively accounted for by a simplified scattering model. Numerical results, which we obtained by a microscopic theory of positron–electron emission from surfaces, reveal however that there are also cases in which the electron carries more energy. Whether the positron or the electron is more energetic depends on details of the bound electron state and of the emission geometry. The coincidence intensity is strongly material dependent and there exists an almost monotonic relation between the singles and coincidence intensity. These results resemble the findings obtained in electron and photon stimulated electron pair emission. An additional reaction channel is the emission of an electron pair upon positron impact. We will discuss the energy distributions and the material dependence of the coincidence signal which shows similar features as those for positron–electron pairs.     

Universal scaling in transient creep

We present experimental evidence that pressure solution creep does not establish a steady-state interface microstructure as previously thought. Conversely, pressure solution controlled strain and the characteristic length scale of interface microstructures grow as the cubic root of time. Transient creep with the same scaling is known in metallurgy (Andrade creep). The apparent universal scaling of pressure solution transient creep is explained using an analogy with spinodal dewetting.     

Theoretical spin polarization and intensity profiles in LEED from low-index surfaces of tungsten

Subsequent to the recent measurement of spin polarization effects in LEED, a relativistic LEED theory has been modified such as to facilitate computations for energies up to about 200 eV. Application to several low-index surfaces of tungsten yields intensity-energy profiles in good agreement with experiment. The calculated spin polarization profiles exhibit large maxima and show encouraging agreement with the as yet limited experimental data. Contraction of the top layer spacing with respect to the bulk spacing is found to produce drastic changes in parts of the polarization profiles. LEED spin polarization analysis could therefore provide a sensitive means of surface structure determination. Further, some polarization maxima coincide in energy with sizeable intensity values. This offers promising prospects for the construction of a low-energy spin polarization detector on a double diffraction basis and of an intense source of polarized electrons.     

Spin-polarized LEED from low-index surfaces of platinum and gold

A relativistic theory of LEED has been applied, in the energy range from 0 to 200 eV, to (111) and (001) faces of Pt and Au. The calculated intensity versus energy profiles are in good agreement with experimental data, which, in particular, provides support for interpreting the observed surfaces as unreconstructed. As a consequence of strong spin-orbit coupling, large spin-polarization peaks are found, partly in conjunction with intensity maxima. As a rough guide to diffraction conditions, at which both polarization and intensity are sizeable, a simple kinematic model might be of some use.     

Longitudinal spin polarization and symmetries in low-energy-electron diffraction: Experiment and theory for Pt(111)

In low-energy electron diffraction from Pt(111), the longitudinal component of the spin polarization vector and its transverse component normal to the scattering plane were measured by a Mott detector and found to agree very well with corresponding theoretical results. Rotation diagrams of the longitudinal and transverse components exhibit only a three-fold symmetry in contrast to the six-fold symmetry, which time reversal invariance dictates for intensities.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the angular resolved secondary electron spectroscopy (ARSES) for W(100) in the energy range 0 ⩽ E ⩽ 20 eV

The angular resolved energy distribution of true secondary electrons emitted normal to a clean W(100) surface has been measured with a 180° Spherical Deflector Analyzer. While significant discrepancies are found with earlier secondary emission data, good agreement exists with angular resolved photoemission spectra. Comparison to recent band structure calculations (density of states effects) is made. The fine structure of the secondary emission spectrum is fully explained by numerical results obtained by means of a quantitative theory of angular resolved secondary emission. Further, the fine structure corresponds closely to reflection coefficient data.