Abstract
To date, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has significantly advanced the understanding of the local structure, electronic properties, and reactivity of semiconductor surfaces. Less recognized is the fact that STM can also elucidate the local structural and electronic properties of low-dimensional materials. Herein, the authors demonstrate that STM can provide new and essential insight into the physical complexities of high-temperature copper oxide superconductors that is unavailable from conventional studies. After reviewing the basic theoretical concepts needed to evaluate STM data, the authors discuss several specific cases that illustrate the unique information that STM provides. These examples include (1) the atomic level nature of structural disorder in the BiO and TlO layers of Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} and Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} and the low-energy electronic states associated with these structural features, (2) the local structure and electronic consequences of metal substitution and oxygen doping in Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, and (3) low-temperature tunneling spectroscopy measurements of the superconducting energy gap. Lastly, the authors summarize exciting future avenues to pursue in STM studies of these and other materials. 57 refs., 15 figs.
Published Version
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