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Reversibly Switching the Charge State and Adsorption Location of A Single Potassium Atom on Ultrathin CuO Films
Author(s) -
Peng Zhantao,
Di Bin,
Li Wentao,
Liu Dan,
Wen Xiaojie,
Zhu Hao,
Song Huanjun,
Zhang Yajie,
Yin Cen,
Zhou Xiong,
Wu Kai
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202005370
Subject(s) - scanning tunneling microscope , monolayer , work function , potassium , adsorption , cationic polymerization , atom (system on chip) , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , materials science , photoemission spectroscopy , biasing , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , crystallography , nanotechnology , voltage , layer (electronics) , nuclear magnetic resonance , physics , quantum mechanics , polymer chemistry , metallurgy , chromatography , computer science , embedded system
Potassium (K) cations are spontaneously formed upon thermal deposition of low‐coverage K onto an ultrathin CuO monolayer grown on Cu(110) and they were explored by low‐temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy. The formed K cations are highly immobile and thermally stable. The local work function around an individual K cation decreases by 1.5±0.3 eV, and a charging zone underneath it is established within about 1.0 nm. The cationic and neutral states of the K atom are switchable upon application of an STM bias voltage pulse, which is simultaneously accompanied by an adsorption site relocation.