Single quantum dots as scanning tunneling microscope tips

We report the use of single quantum dot structures as tips on a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). A single quantum dot structure with a diameter of less than 200 nm and a height of 2 μm was fabricated by reactive ion etching. This dot was placed on a 40 μm-high mesa and mounted on the tip of a STM. The topography of large structures such as quantum wires or gold test substrates is clearly resolved with such a tip. To check the transport properties of the tip, quantum dot arrays were fabricated on resonant tunneling double barrier structures using the same process parameters. Conventional tunneling spectroscopy clearly resolved the 0D states in our samples. Using a metal substrate as second electrode such STM tips can be used to perform high resolution energy spectroscopy on single dots and free standing wire structures.     

Synthesis and characterization of graphene quantum dots and their size reduction using swift heavy ion beam

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are nanosized fragments of graphene displaying quantum confinement effect. They have shown to be prepared from various methods which include ion beam etching of graphene. However, recently the modification of the GQDs has garnered tremendous attention owing to its suitability for various applications. Here, we have studied the effect of swift ion beam irradiation on the properties of GQDs. The ion beam treatment on the GQDs exhibited the change in observed photoluminescence of GQDs as they exhibited a blue luminescence on excitation with longwave UV (≈365?nm) due to the reduction in size and removal of the ethoxy (–C–O–C–) groups present on the quantum dots. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, particle size analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.     

基于原子操纵技术的人工量子结构研究

扫描隧道显微镜原子操纵技术是指利用扫描探针在特定材料表面以晶格为步长搬运单个原子或分子的技术.它是纳米尺度量子物理与器件研究领域一种独特而有力的研究手段.利用这种手段,人们能够以原子或分子为单元构筑某些常规生长或微加工方法难以制备的人工量子结构,通过对格点原子、晶格尺寸、对称性、周期性的高度控制,实现对局域电子态、自旋序、以及能带拓扑特性等量子效应的设计与调控.原子操纵技术与超快测量及自动控制技术的结合,使得人们能够进一步研究原子级精准的量子器件,因而该技术成为探索未来器件新机理、新工艺的重要工具.本文首先简介原子操纵方法的发展过程和技术要点,然后分别介绍人工电子晶格、半导体表面人工量子点、磁性人工量子结构、人工结构中的信息存储与逻辑运算、单原子精度原型器件等方面的最新研究进展,以及单原子刻蚀和自动原子操纵等方面的技术进展,最后总结并展望原子操纵技术的应用前景和发展趋势.     

铁磁金属量子阱态的共振隧穿

非铁磁金属层中的量子阱态在磁输运过程中的重要性已被广泛认识.铁磁金属层中自旋极化的量子阱态以前并没有详尽的理论研究;实验上也没有清晰地观测到自旋极化量子阱态的隧穿.文章介绍了最近由卢仲毅、张晓光和Pantelides［1］预言的Fe/MgO/FeO/Fe/Cr和其他铁磁量子阱隧道结中的共振隧穿,并解释铁、钴、铬的Δ1能带的对称性在这种共振隧穿中的作用.     

Symmetry of magnetic quantum tunneling in single molecule magnet Mn12-acetate

The symmetry of magnetic quantum tunneling has been studied in the prototype single molecule magnet Mn12-acetate using a micro-Hall effect magnetometer and superconducting high field vector magnet system. An average crystal fourfold symmetry is shown to be due to local molecular environments of twofold symmetry that are rotated by 90 degrees with respect to one another, confirming that disorder which lowers the molecule symmetry is as important to magnetic quantum tunneling. We have studied a subset of these lower (twofold) site symmetry molecules and present evidence for a Berry phase effect consistent with a local twofold symmetry.     

Magnetic quantum ring in two-dimensional topological insulators

The quantum properties of topological insulator magnetic quantum rings formed by inhomogeneous magnetic fields are investigated using a series expansion method for the modified Dirac equation. Cycloid-like and snake-like magnetic edge states are respectively found in the bulk gap for the normal and inverted magnetic field profiles. The energy spectra, current densities and classical trajectories of the magnetic edge states are discussed in detail. The bulk band inversion is found to manifest itself through the angular momentum transition in the ground state for the cycloid-like states and the resonance tunneling effect for the snake-like states.     

Spatially resolving and energy splitting of edge state in zigzag edged triangle graphene quantum dots on Cu(111) surface

The electronic structure of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) has been predicted to depend sensitively on the crystallographic orientation of their edges. However, direct observation of edge state for triangle graphene quantum dots (TGQDs) has not been verified experimentally. Here we explore, using the scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), the zigzag edged electronic property of varisized TGQDs. Predominantly zigzag-edged TGQDs exhibit edge-localized states with the energy splittings of about 0.2–0.3 V when its lateral dimension is less than 7 nm. The measured energy splittings agree with theoretical calculations, and show that these edge states originate from a hybridization effect of the substrate, and not from a magnetic splitting of the edge state.     

Resonant quantum coherence of magnetization at excited states in nanospin systems with different crystal symmetries

The quantum interference effects induced by the Wess-Zumino term, or Berry phase are studied theoretically in resonant quantum coherence of the magnetization vector between degenerate states in nanometer-scale single-domain ferromagnets in the absence of an external magnetic field. We consider the magnetocrystalline anisotropy with trigonal, tetragonal and hexagonal crystal symmetry, respectively. By applying the periodic instanton method in the spin-coherent-state path integral, we evaluate the low-lying tunnel splittings between degenerate excited states of neighboring wells. And the low-lying energy level spectrum of mth excited state are obtained with the help of the Bloch theorem in one-dimensional periodic potential. The energy level spectrum and the thermodynamic properties of magnetic tunneling states are found to depend significantly on the total spins of ferromagnets at sufficiently low temperatures. Possible relevance to experiments is also discussed. Received 15 December 1999     

Surface electron doping induced double gap opening in Td-WTe2

By using scanning tunneling microscopy, we investigated the electronic evolution of T_d-WTe₂ via in-situ surface alkali K atoms deposition. The T_d-WTe₂ surface is electron doped upon K deposition, and as the K coverage increases, two gaps are sequentially opened near Fermi energy, which probably indicates that two phase transitions concomitantly occur during electron doping. The two gaps both show a dome-like dependence on the K coverage. While the bigger gap shows no prominent dependence on the magnetic field, the smaller one can be well suppressed and thus possibly corresponds to the superconducting transition. This work indicates that T_d-WTe₂ exhibits rich quantum states closely related to the carrier concentration.     

基于扫描隧道显微镜的原子电子云结构

本文简要介绍了扫描隧道显微镜的基本工作原理，展示了一些扫描样品（石墨和铜）的电子云图，在简要介绍量子力学关于原子电子云结构基本理论的基础上，通过理论上的电子云结构与扫描结果的比较，在一定程度上验证了量子力学关于原子电子云结构理论的正确性．     

Statistical measures and the Klein tunneling in single-layer graphene

Statistical complexity and Fisher–Shannon information are calculated in a problem of quantum scattering, namely the Klein tunneling across a potential barrier in graphene. The treatment of electron wave functions as masless Dirac fermions allows us to compute these statistical measures. The comparison of these magnitudes with the transmission coefficient through the barrier is performed. We show that these statistical measures take their minimum values in the situations of total transparency through the barrier, a phenomenon highly anisotropic for the Klein tunneling in graphene.     

Manipulating the Kondo resonance through quantum size effects

Manipulating the Kondo effect by quantum confinement has been achieved by placing magnetic molecules on silicon-supported nanostructures. The Kondo resonance of individual manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) molecules adsorbed on the top of Pb islands was studied by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Oscillating Kondo temperatures as a function of film thickness were observed and attributed to the formation of the thickness-dependent quantum-well states in the host Pb islands. The present approach provides a technologically feasible way for single spin manipulation by precise thickness control of thin films.     

Tunable quantum dot arrays formed from self-assembled metal-organic networks

The confinement of Ag(111) surface-state electrons by self-assembled, nanoporous metal-organic networks is studied using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy as well as electronic structure calculations. The honeycomb networks of Co metal centers and dicarbonitrile-oligophenyl linkers induce surface resonance states confined in the cavities with a tunable energy level alignment. We find that electron scattering is repulsive on the molecules and weakly attractive on Co. The tailored networks represent periodic arrays of uniform and coupled quantum dots.     

Experimental observation of pseudogap in a modulation-doped Mott insulator: Sn/Si(111)-(√30×√30)R30°

Unusual quantum phenomena usually emerge upon doping Mott insulators. Using a molecular beam epitaxy system integrated with cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope, we investigate the electronic structure of a modulation-doped Mott insulator Sn/Si(111)-($\sqrt{3}\times \sqrt{3})R$30$^\circ$. In underdoped regions, we observe a universal pseudogap opening around the Fermi level, which changes little with the applied magnetic field and the occurrence of Sn vacancies. The pseudogap gets smeared out at elevated temperatures and alters in size with the spatial confinement of the Mott insulating phase. Our findings, along with the previously observed superconductivity at a higher doping level, are highly reminiscent of the electronic phase diagram in the doped copper oxide compounds.     

A local view of the Kondo effect: Scanning tunneling spectroscopy

The fascinating many-body physics involved in the interaction of a single magnetic impurity with the conduction electrons of its nonmagnetic metallic host is reflected in unconventional phenomena in magnetism, transport properties and the specific heat. Characteristic low-energy excitations, termed the Kondo resonance, are generally believed to be responsible for this striking behaviour. However, in spite of an intense research for over more than 30 years, a direct spectroscopic observation of the Kondo resonance on individual magnetic adatoms withstood experimental efforts hitherto. The development of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) operating under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions has provided new opportunities for investigating locally the electronic structure at surfaces. At low temperatures, due to the reduced broadening of the Fermi level of the STM tip and the sample, rather high energy resolution (≤ 1 meV) in scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) is achievable. Moreover, the absence of diffusion together with the spatial resolution of the STM enables detailed studies of electronic states on and near single adsorbed atoms and other nanoscale structures. Recently, for the first time, two such STS/STM experiments spatially resolved the electronic properties of individual magnetic adatoms displaying the Kondo effect. In particular, the observed Fano lineshape of the Kondo resonance reveals unambiguously the details of the quantum mechanical interference between the localized orbital and the conduction electrons on an atomic length scale [1,2]. This achievement of the detection of individual magnetic atoms with atomic resolution opens new perspectives for probing magnetic nanostructures.     

Magnetic properties of graphene-like quantum dots doped with magnetic ions

Graphene-like quantum dots (GQDs) doped with magnetic ions are described in accordance with the mixed Ising model. The magnetic properties of this system are discussed within the framework of the effective field theory with correlations. The numerical results produced several types of phase diagrams with different exchange couplings and anisotropies. Certain unique features, such as reentrant phenomena, were found within a particular range of parameters. We concluded that GQDs doped with magnetic ions have the potential to adjust their performance and effectively enlarge the scope of application.     

Chiral selective tunneling induced graphene nanoribbon switch

An armchair graphene nanoribbon switch has been designed based on the principle of the Klein paradox. The resulting switch displays an excellent on-off ratio performance. An anomalous tunneling phenomenon, in which electrons do not pass through the graphene nanoribbon junction even when the conventional resonance condition is satisfied, is observed in our numerical simulations. A selective tunneling rule is proposed to explain this interesting transport behavior based on our analytical results. Based on this selective rule, our switch design can also achieve the confinement of an electron to form a quantum qubit.      

Absence of compressible edge channel rings in quantum antidots

We report resonant tunneling experiments in a quantum antidot sample in the integer quantum Hall regime. In particular, we have measured the temperature T dependence of the peak value of a conductance peak on the i = 2 plateau, where there are two peaks per magnetic flux quantum straight phi(0). We observe a T-1 dependence as expected when tunneling through only one electron state is possible. This result is incompatible with tunneling through a compressible ring of several degenerate states. We also observe, for the first time, three conductance peaks per straight phi(0) on the i = 3 plateau.     

Direct observation of geometrical phase transitions in mesoscopic superconductors by scanning tunneling microscopy

Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we mapped the distribution of the local density of states in a single crystal superconductor heterostructure with an array of submicron normal metal islands. We observe the coexistence of strongly interacting multiquanta vortex lattice with interstitial Abrikosov vortices. The newly formed composite magnetic flux structure undergoes a series of phase transitions between different topological configuration states. The vortex configuration states are strongly dependent on the number of flux quanta and the nanoscale confinement architecture of the mesoscopic superconductor. Here, we present images of vortex phase transitions due to confinement effects when the number of magnetic flux quanta in the system changes. The vortex dynamics in these systems could serve as a model for behavior of confined many-body systems when the number of particles changes.     

阶梯电压下量子环的动力学性质

利用非平衡格林函数方法,研究了一维量子环的动力学特性.量子环中通过恒定的磁通,并通过单根导线与电子库连接.考虑瞬时改变库的势（阶梯电压）,导线与环间有含时的隧穿电流.提出一种数值方法计算有阶梯电压体系的电导,结果说明遂穿电流特性能够反映量子环中电子能谱结构. 关键词： 量子环 遂穿电流 电子能谱