Atomic structure of a regular Si(2 2 3) triple step staircase

An atomically accurate regular triple step array with a period of 4.8 nm has been fabricated on the vicinal Si(5 5 7) surface. Its atomic structure was studied on different length scales by scanning tunneling microscopy, low energy electron diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy. These complementary methods allowed to identify the average orientation of the regular triple step staircase as Si(2 2 3) and to give a deeper insight into the atomic arrangement of this structure.     

Atomic Tunneling Effect in Two-Component Bose-Einstein Condensates with a Coupling Drive

In this paper, we have studied the atomic population difference and the atomic tunneling current of twocomponent Bose-Einstein condensates with a coupling drive. It is found that when the two-component Bose-Einstein condensates are initially in the coherent states, the atomic population difference may exhibit the step structure, in which the numbers of the step increase with the decrease of the Rabi frequency and with the increment of the initial phase difference. The atomic population difference may exhibit collapses, and revivals, in which their periods are affected dramatically by the Rabi frequency and the initial phase difference. The atomic tunneling current may exhibit damping oscillation behaviors, and exist the step structure for the time range of 10-10 ～ 10-9 second.     

Transport at surface nanostructures measured by four-tip STM

For in situ measurements of local electrical conductivity of well-defined crystal surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum, we have developed two kinds of microscopic four-point probe methods. One is a ‘four-tip STM prober’, in which independently driven four tips of scanning tunneling microscope (STM) are used for four-point probe conductivity measurements. The probe spacing can be changed from 500 nm to 1 mm. The other one is monolithic micro-four-point probes, fabricated on silicon chips, whose probe spacing is fixed around several μm. These probes were installed in scanning-electron-microscopy/electron-diffraction chambers, in which the structures of sample surfaces and probe positions were in situ observed. The probes can be positioned precisely on aimed areas on the sample with aid of piezo-actuators. With these machines, the surface sensitivity in conductivity measurements has been greatly enhanced compared with macroscopic four-point probe method. Then the conduction through the topmost atomic layers (surface-state conductivity) and influence of atomic steps upon conductivity could be directly measured. The STM prober is mainly described here.     

Significant Fowler–Nordheim tunneling across ZnO – Nanorod based nanojunctions for nanoelectronic device applications

We demonstrate significant Fowler–Nordheim (FN) tunneling across Al/Al₂O₃/ZnO metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) and Ag/ZnO metal–semiconductor (MS) nanojunctions. The transport properties of ZnO nanostructures in the form of urchins and randomly distributed nanorods were investigated in terms of various conduction mechanism. The minimum voltage necessary for triggering Fowler–Nordheim (FN) tunneling, under forward biasing, was ～1.2 V and ～3.4 V; respectively, below which only direct tunneling and thermionic emission events were evident. Mediated through Al₂O₃ layer, the FN tunneling was more prominent across MIS junction than MS one. The weak FN tunneling across MS junction was owing to interfacial charge transfer process through the atomic scale gapping between adjacent nanostructures. The extent of such type of tunneling is found to be nanostructure morphology dependent and largely rely on the free electrons donated by the native donor defects in the crystal structure of ZnO. The significant FN tunneling across the MIS and MS junctions has a direct relevance in designing nanoscale field emission devices/components working at low voltage with high throughputs.     

Quintuple-period Si atomic wires with alternative double and triple modulations by metal: Mg/Si(557)

The formation of Mg-induced quasi-one-dimensional atomic wires on a Si(557) surface was studied by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and first-principles calculations. The atomic wires were produced on the Si(557) surface without faceting when heated to 330 ?C. The atomic wires had a × 5 period along the wires, as observed by LEED. STM images showed the existence of three kinds of atomic wires in a unit cell: an atomic wire located at the step edge and the others on the terrace. Interestingly, alternative double and triple modulations resulting in the × 5 period was observed at the atomic wire located at the step edge. Among the variety of atomic structure models available, the one based on a honeycomb-chain-channel model, which is that of a metal/Si(111)-(3 × 1) surface, reproduced the STM images well and was relatively stable energetically.     

Phantom force induced by tunneling current: a characterization on Si(111)

Simultaneous measurements of tunneling current and atomic forces provide complementary atomic-scale data of the electronic and structural properties of surfaces and adsorbates. With these data, we characterize a strong impact of the tunneling current on the measured force on samples with limited conductivity. The effect is a lowering of the effective gap voltage through sample resistance which in turn lowers the electrostatic attraction, resulting in an apparently repulsive force. This effect is expected to occur on other low-conductance samples, such as adsorbed molecules, and to strongly affect Kelvin probe measurements when tunneling occurs.     

Two-step reaction on a strained, nanoscale segmented surface

By means of scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations we demonstrate that on the Rh(110)-(10 x 2)-O surface, a prototypical multiphase surface of an oxidized transition metal model catalyst, water formation upon H2 exposure is a two-step reaction, with each step requiring special active sites. The 1st step initiates at (2 x 1)p2mg-O defect islands in the (10 x 2) structure and propagates across the surface as a reaction front, removing half of the adsorbed oxygen. The oxygen decorated Rh ridges of the (10 x 2) structure lose their tensile strain upon this reduction step, whereby nanoscale patches of clean Rh become exposed and act as special reaction sites in the 2nd reaction step, which therefore initiates homogeneously over the entire surface.     

Time-dependent tunneling spectroscopy for studying surface diffusion confined in nanostructures

By confining a diffusion atom in a nanometer region using surface potential heterogeneity, we have successfully employed a time-dependent tunneling spectroscopy to quantitatively study its random motion. A hopping rate in the range of 1-10(4) Hz, approximately 3 orders of magnitude faster than those accessible by the existing diffusion methods based on scanning tunneling microscopy, was demonstrated for single Cu atoms diffusing in the faulted half unit cell of Si(111)-(7 x 7). Our technique is potentially useful to detect fast diffusion processes such as H quantum diffusion at atomic scale.     

Atomic Tunneling Effect in Two-Component Bose-Einstein Condensates with a Coupling Drive

In this paper, we have studied the atomic population difference and the atomic tunneling current of two-component Bose-Einstein condensates with a coupling drive. It is found that when the two-component Bose Einstein condensates are initially in the coherent states, the atomic population difference may exhibit the step structure, in which the numbers of the step increase with the decrease of the Rabi frequency and with the increment of the initial phase difference. The atomic population difference may exhibit collapses, and revivals, in which their periods are affected dramatically by the Rabi frequency and the initial phase difference. The atomic tunneling current may exhibit damping oscillation behaviors, and exist the step structure for the time range of 10^-10 ～ 10^-9 second.     

The Atomic Tunneling Current in Two—Species Bose—Einstein Condensates

It is shown that the atomic tunneling current and the Shapiro-like steps strongly depend on the initial number of atoms in each condensate and the initial phase difference between the two condensates which are initially in even(odd) coherent states.The nonlinearity of interatomic interactions in the two condensates may lead to the atomic tunneling current and Shapiro-like step between the two condensates.It is found that the interatomic nonlinear interactions can induce the atomic tunneling current and Shapiro-like step between two condensates even though there does not exist the interspecies Josephson-like tunneling coupling.The static atomic tunneling current flows in positive or negative direction,which depends on the phase difference of the two-species condensates.     

Inducing all steps of a chemical reaction with the scanning tunneling microscope tip: towards single molecule engineering

All elementary steps of a chemical reaction have been successfully induced on individual molecules with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) in a controlled step-by-step manner utilizing a variety of manipulation techniques. The reaction steps involve the separation of iodine from iodobenzene by using tunneling electrons, bringing together two resultant phenyls mechanically by lateral manipulation and, finally, their chemical association to form a biphenyl molecule mediated by excitation with tunneling electrons. The procedures presented here constitute an important step towards the assembly of individual molecules out of simple building blocks in situ on the atomic scale.     

Observation of 77 K coulomb staircases in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures implanted by a focused ion beam

We report evidence of single electron tunneling at 77 K in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures implanted with a single line scan of a focused ion beam (FIB). We observe clear staircases in the current-voltage characteristics when the current is measured across the implanted area. These staircases exist in all the fabricated devices but show variations in step width and step height. The observed staircases most likely originate from single electron tunneling through a specific Coulomb island in the random distribution of potential fluctuations which results from implantation damage. Analysis of the observed step widths results in an estimate of the spatial extent of the island which is consistent with the correlation length of the potential fluctuations estimated from the defect density.     

Tunneling Dynamics of the Halves of a Double-Well Trap Containing a Bose-Einstein Condensate

In this paper, we have studied tunneling dynamics of the halves of a double-well trap containing a Bose-Einstein condensate. It is found that there exist step structure and macroscopic quantum self-trapping of population difference of atoms, and exist Shapiro-like steps of atomic tunneling current. Both the population difference and the atomic tunneling current depend strongly on the total number of atoms and the initial phase difference.     

Atomic scale oxidation of a complex system: O2/alpha-SiC(0001)-( 3 x 3)

The atomic scale oxidation of the alpha-SiC(0001)-(3 x 3) surface is investigated by atom-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy, core level synchrotron radiation based photoemission spectroscopy, and infrared absorption spectroscopy. The results reveal that the initial oxidation takes place through the relaxation of lower layers, away from the surface dangling bond, in sharp contrast to silicon oxidation.     

磁性隧道结Ni80Fe20/Al2O3/Co的制备和物性

用等离子体氧化形成绝缘层的方法,重复性地制备出了Ｎｉ８０Ｆｅ２０／Ａｌ２Ｏ３／Ｃｏ磁性隧道结。样品的隧道磁电阻（ＴＭＲ）比值在室温下最高可达６．０％,翻转场（ｓｗｉｔｃｈ ｆｉｅｌｄ）可低于８００Ａ／ｍ,平台宽度约２４００Ａ／ｍ。结电阻的变化范围从几百欧姆到几百千欧。     

Island coalescence and diffusion along kinked steps on Cu(0 0 1): Evidence for a large kink Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier

Using temperature-variable scanning tunneling microscopy, we studied the coalescence of vacancy islands on Cu(0 0 1) in ultra-high vacuum. From the temperature dependence of the relaxation of merged vacancy islands to the equilibrium shape we obtain an activation energy of the island coalescence process of 0.76 eV. From that value we deduce an activation energy for the atomic hopping coefficient of E_Γh=0.89 eV. Comparing our result with previous STM data on step fluctuations with dominant diffusion along straight step segments (E_Γh=0.68 eV; [M. Giesen, S. Dieluweit, J. Mol. Catal. A: Chem. 216 (2004) 263]) and step fluctuations with kink crossing (E_Γh=0.9 eV; [M. Giesen-Seibert, F. Schmitz, R. Jentjens, H. Ibach, Surf. Sci. 329 (1995) 47]), we conclude that there is a large extra barrier for diffusion of atoms across kinks on Cu(0 0 1) of the order of 0.23 eV. This is the first direct experimental evidence for the existence of a large kink Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier on Cu(0 0 1).     

STM study of SiC crystallite growth on vicinal Si(111) surfaces

The initial stage of epitaxial growth of cubic β-SiC on vicinal Si(111) misoriented towards the [112̄] direction is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy in ultra-high vacuum. The clean Si(111) surface contains terraces separated by groups of atomic steps. The separation between the atomic steps within a group is observed to be approximately equal to the length of the long axis of the Si(111)7 × 7 unit cell. We postulate that the SiC forms three-sided pyramids with surfaces of (110) orientation. The pyramids are located mostly at the step edges and are sharper than the end of the tip. This results in a series of identically shaped tip images located at the step edges, which display the structure of the tip.     

冷原子穿越激光束的量子隧穿时间

原子通过激光冷却技术能够被制备在低温状态，这时冷原子云会展现出量子力学的波动性.研究了一束冷原子入射到一个蓝失谐的激光束上所表现出的量子力学隧穿效应.蓝失谐的激光束相对于冷原子而言等效于一个量子力学势垒.根据二能级模型，在理论上分析了具有内部结构的原子矢量物质波穿过激光束的量子力学反射与透射，特别是对原子穿越激光束所需的时间——量子隧穿时间进行了详细的研究.量子力学波动性使得冷原子穿越一个激光束时明显地展现出与经典粒子(热原子)不同的结果. 关键词： 冷原子 原子光学 量子隧穿     

Tunneling Dynamics of the Halves of a Double-Well Trap Containing a Bose-Einstein Condensate

In this paper, we have studied tunneling dynamics of the halves of a double-well trap containing a Bose-Einstein condensate. It is found that there exist step structure and macroscopic quantum self-trapping of populationdifference of atoms, and exist Shapiro-like steps of atomic tunneling current. Both the population difference and theatomic tunneling current depend strongly on the total number of atoms and the initial phase difference.     

On the microscopic origin of the kinetic step bunching instability on vicinal Si(0 0 1)

A scanning tunneling microscopy/atomic force microscopy study is presented of a kinetically driven growth instability, which leads to the formation of ripples during Si homoepitaxy on slightly vicinal Si(0 0 1) surfaces miscut in [1 1 0] direction. The instability is identified as step bunching, that occurs under step-flow growth conditions and vanishes both during low-temperature island growth and at high temperatures. We demonstrate, that the growth instability with the same characteristics is observed in two dimensional kinetic Monte Carlo simulation with included Si(0 0 1)-like diffusion anisotropy. The instability is mainly caused by the interplay between diffusion anisotropy and the attachment/detachment kinetics at the different step types on Si(0 0 1) surface. This new instability mechanism does not require any additional step edge barriers to diffusion of adatoms. In addition, the evolution of ripple height and periodicity was analyzed experimentally as a function of layer thickness. A lateral “ripple-zipper” mechanism is proposed for the coarsening of the ripples.