Probing Single Nanometer-scale Particles with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopies

Scanning tunneling microscopy can be used to isolate single particles on surfaces for further study. Local optical and electronic properties coupled with topographic information collected by the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) give insight into the intrinsic properties of the species under study. Since each spectroscopic measurement is done on a single particle, each sample is monodisperse, regardless of the degree of heterogeneity of the original preparation. We illustrate this with three example systems – a metal cluster of known atomic structure, metal nanoparticles dispersed from colloid suspensions, and metallocarbohedrenes (Met-Cars) deposited with other reaction products. Au and Ag nanoparticles were imaged using a photon emission STM. The threshold voltage, the lowest bias voltage at which photons are produced, was determined for Au nanoparticles. Electronic spectra of small clusters of Ni atoms on MoS₂ were recorded. Preliminary images of Zr-based Met-Car-containing soot were obtained on Au and MoS₂ substrates and partial electronic spectra were recorded of these possible Met-Car particles.     

Charge Density Wave States in 2H-MoTe_2 Revealed by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

2H-and 1T′-phase monolayer MoTe_2 films on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite are studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy(STM/STS).The phase transition of MoTe_2 can be controlled by a postgrowth annealing process,and the intermediate state during the phase transition is directly observed by STM.For 2H-MoTe2,inversion domain boundaries are presented as bright lines at high sample bias,but as dark lines at lower sample bias.The dI/dV mappings reveal the distinct distributions of electronic states between domain boundaries and interiors of domains.It sihould be noted that a 2×2 periodic structure is clearlfy discernable inside the domains,where the STS measurement shows a small dip of size～150 meV at the vicinity of the Fermi level,indicating that the 2×2 periodic structure may be an incommensurate charge density wave.Moreover,a4×4 periodic structure appears in 2H-MoTe_2 grown at a higher substrate temperature.     

利用扫描隧道显微镜表征和操纵单分子

扫描隧道显微镜（STM）提供给我们一种表征单分子的局域物理和化学特性的特殊方法，甚至还能帮助我们操纵单分子以构造分子尺度的新型器件。本文中我们采用了两种新型STM技术分别来表征封装在富勒烯笼里面的金属原子和构造一种具有较强Kondo效应的分子器件。空间dI/dV映像谱被用来探索单个Dy@C82分子中能量分辨的金属-笼杂化态，揭示了有关Dy原子在碳笼中的空间位置和Dy-碳笼之间相互作用的重要信息。我们也通过控制STM针尖诱导的高电压脉冲来诱导CoPc分子的边缘脱氢化，从而改变了这个分子在Au(111)表面的吸附构型，导致吸附在Au表面的完整CoPc分子所不具备的Kondo效应产生。     

光子扫描隧道显微镜的探测场

通过修改光子扫描隧道显微镜探测场的计算模型，推导出比较符合实际的探测场及透射系数的计算公式，并利用这一新计算公式在微机上进行了模拟计算，得到了一些过去未曾发现的现象，对光子扫描隧道显微镜的实际探测具有一定的指导意义。     

Magnification Effects in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: the Role of Surface Radicals

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics - Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is a fundamental tool for determination of the surface atomic structure. However, the interpretation of high...     

利用扫描隧道显微镜在溶液中直接观测过渡族金属硫属化合物

本文利用自制的溶液扫描隧道显微镜在溶液环境下直接观测到TiSe₂、MoTe₂和TaS₂样品的原子分辨率图像. 通过将单晶样品在溶液中直接解理,可以保护解理过的新鲜样品表面在几个小时内不会被严重污染. 利用自行搭建的溶液扫描隧道显微镜,首先观察到了TiSe₂活泼样品的原子分辨率图像,并观察到了TiSe₂表面所特有的点缺陷和三角形缺陷结构. 此外,还观察到了MoTe₂的原子分辨率超结构和TaS₂表面的电荷密度波结构. 结果表明：在室温、溶液环境下能更高效的研究过渡族金属硫属化合物等活泼样品的表面电子态结构,同样适用于溶液环境下的电催化和电化学研究.     

Graphene/Rh(111) Structure Studied Using In-Situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Scanning tunnel microscopy(STM)is performed to verify if an Rh 'nails' structure is formed accompanying the graphene growing during chemical vapor deposition.A structure of a graphene island in an Rh vacancy island is used as the start.While the graphene island is removed by oxygenation,the variations of the Rh vacancy island are imaged with an in-situ high-temperature STM.By fitting with our model and calculations,we conclude that the best fit is obtained for 0%Rh,i.e.,for the complete absence of nails below graphene on Rh(111).That is,when graphene is formed on Rh(111),the substrate remains flat and does not develop a supporting nail structure.     

Proximity Effect and Josephson Current in Superconducting Sandwich Systems near Transition Temperature

Near the superconducting transition temperature pairpotential behaviour and supercurrent in nonhomogeneous sandwich systems of SNS-and SINIS-types (S superconductor, N normal metal, I insulator) are theoretically investigated. The proximity effect is taken into account by using an extrapolation length which relates the order parameter value to its first derivative at interfaces. In frame of the microscopic theory of superconductivity this extrapolation length follows with the help of an appropriate variational principle which has been checked on systems which allow exact solutions. The resulting supercurrent expressions are discussed in detail with respect to temperature dependence and impurity influence.     

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of the Ytterbium Nanofilm Surface and Layers of Oxygen Molecules Adsorbed on It

Technical Physics - The surfaces of Yb–Si(111) and O–Yb–Si(111) structures (with a thickness of ytterbium nanofilms of 16 monolayers (6.08 nm)) have been investigated for the...     

Scanning tunneling microscopy study of pinning-induced vortex lattice distortion in ion-irradiated NbSe2

We observe vortex pinning in 2.2 GeV Au-ion irradiated NbSe₂ by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at 3K. The ion irradiation generates columnar defects which act as pinning sites. At various external magnetic fields the vortex arrangement is clearly resolved but shows strong distortion. The location of individual defects is extracted from STM data and compared to the vortex arrangement.     

Proximity Effect in a Superconducting Triplet Spin Valve S1/F1/S2/F2

Physics of the Solid State - Сritical temperatures of multilayer structures of the superconductor/ferromagnet/ferromagnet (S/F/F) type are obtained using the matrix method for solving the...     

Two-Dimensional Numerical Simulations of Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Fourier Modal Method and R-Matrix Algorithm

Numerical simulation of a two-dimensional probe–object system for photon scanning tunneling microscope is presented. The R-matrix propagation algorithm incorporated into the Fourier modal method was used to achieve an extended capability for modeling of a realistic system consisting of both a probe and a sample. The type of the mode guided through the dielectric probe and the coupling of the near-field to fundamental guiding mode in the probe are discussed. The influence of the probe parameters on the near-field images is investigated. Three different probe shapes were simulated in the constant height scanning mode. The transmitted flux intensity through the probe was found to be strongly dependent on the tip shape. The analysis shows a good agreement of the obtained results with the available theoretical works and confirming experimental results. The proposed numerical scheme can find applications for near-field probe characterization and provides an understanding of the degree of perturbation introduced by a probe tip in the experiment.