Open AccessBarrier-free subsurface incorporation of3dmetal atoms into Bi(111) films
Author(s) -
Claudius Klein,
N. J. Vollmers,
U. Gerstmann,
Percy Zahl,
D. Lükermann,
Giriraj Jnawali,
H. Pfnür,
Christoph Tegenkamp,
Peter Sutter,
W. G. Schmidt,
M. Hornvon Hoegen
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
physical review b
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1538-4489
pISSN - 1098-0121
DOI - 10.1103/physrevb.91.195441
Subject(s) - scanning tunneling microscope , materials science , bilayer , substrate (aquarium) , density functional theory , quantum tunnelling , chemical physics , surface (topology) , transition metal , condensed matter physics , crystallography , nanotechnology , physics , membrane , computational chemistry , chemistry , optoelectronics , biochemistry , oceanography , geometry , mathematics , geology , catalysis
By combining scanning tunneling microscopy with density functional theory it is shown that the Bi(111) surface provides a well-defined incorporation site in the first bilayer that traps highly coordinating atoms such as transition metals (TMs) or noble metals. All deposited atoms assume exactly the same specific sevenfold coordinated subsurface interstitial site while the surface topography remains nearly unchanged. Notably, 3d TMs show a barrier-free incorporation. The observed surface modification by barrier-free subsorption helps to suppress aggregation in clusters. It allows a tuning of the electronic properties not only for the pure Bi(111) surface, but may also be observed for topological insulators formed by substrate-stabilized Bi bilayers. © 2015 American Physical Society
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