Creation of an atomic superlattice by immersing metallic adatoms in a two-dimensional electron sea

Cerium adatoms, deposited on a Ag(111) surface, are found by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy to self-assemble into large ordered hexagonal arrays covering macroscopically the entire surface. We show that the 32 A periodicity of the superlattice is caused by the interaction of surface-s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2004-01, Vol.92 (1), p.016101-016101, Article 016101
Main Authors: Silly, Fabien, Pivetta, Marina, Ternes, Markus, Patthey, François, Pelz, Jonathan P, Schneider, Wolf-Dieter
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Cerium adatoms, deposited on a Ag(111) surface, are found by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy to self-assemble into large ordered hexagonal arrays covering macroscopically the entire surface. We show that the 32 A periodicity of the superlattice is caused by the interaction of surface-state electrons with Ce adatoms and that the large-scale formation of the superlattice is governed by a subtle balance between the sample temperature, the surface diffusion barrier, and the concentration-dependent adatom interaction potential.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.92.016101