Electronic transition from graphite to graphene via controlled movement of the top layer with scanning tunneling microscopy

A series of measurements using a technique called electrostatic-manipulation scanning tunneling microscopy (EM-STM) were performed on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface. The electrostatic interaction between the STM tip and the sample can be tuned to produce both reversible and irreversibl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. B, Condensed matter and materials physics Condensed matter and materials physics, 2012-08, Vol.86 (8), Article 085428
Main Authors: Xu, P., Yang, Yurong, Qi, D., Barber, S. D., Schoelz, J. K., Ackerman, M. L., Bellaiche, L., Thibado, P. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Condensed matter
Density functional theory
Electronics
Graphene
Graphite
Scanning tunneling microscopy
Symmetry
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Summary:A series of measurements using a technique called electrostatic-manipulation scanning tunneling microscopy (EM-STM) were performed on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface. The electrostatic interaction between the STM tip and the sample can be tuned to produce both reversible and irreversible large-scale movement of the graphite surface. Under this influence, atomic-resolution STM images reveal that a continuous electronic transition from triangular symmetry, where only alternate atoms are imaged, to hexagonal symmetry can be systematically controlled. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that this transition can be related to vertical displacements of the top layer of graphite relative to the bulk. Evidence for horizontal shifts in the top layer of graphite is also presented. Excellent agreement is found between experimental STM images and those simulated using DFT.
ISSN:1098-0121
1550-235X
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.86.085428