Electronic effects in the length distribution of atom chains

Gold deposited on Si(553) leads to self-assembly of atomic chains, which are broken into finite segments by defects. Scanning tunneling microscopy is used to investigate the distribution of chain lengths and the correlation between defects separating the chains. The length distribution reveals oscillations that indicate changes in the cohesive energy as a function of chain length. We present a possible interpretation in terms of the electronic scattering vectors at the Fermi surface of the surface states. The pairwise correlation function between defects shows long-range correlations that extend beyond nearest-neighbor defects, indicating coupling between chains.