Abstract
The Si(553)-Au system resembles a heteroatomic chain ensemble with a delicate spin-charge interplay. The ordering of the $\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}3$ reconstruction vanishes via a phase transition taking place at ${T}_{c}=100$ K. Our directional-dependent surface transport measurements showed that this order-disorder phase transition is not driven by the formation of a charge-density wave, as previously suggested. Instead, at 65 K there is a pronounced increase of the surface-state conductivity along the wires. We attribute this to activated charge transfer between the localized Si dangling bond states and the proximate Au bands revealing a $\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2$ periodicity. Apparently, a quasiorthogonality between the wave functions of the two proximal reconstructions is also responsible for a missing $\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}6$ periodicity along the wires. The electronic charge transfer is in agreement with recent band-structure calculations.
Published Version
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