Chirality induced by surface strain studied using scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract

We present a scanning tunneling microscopy study of a thermally annealed oxygen covered $\text{Cu}(110)\text{\ensuremath{-}}(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)\text{-O}$ surface. The thermal annealing results in step bunching followed by formation of strained terraces. The mechanical strain causes local compression of the Cu lattice accompanied with reflection symmetry breaking as measured by comparative analysis of the atomically resolved topographies. On the strained terraces the oblique Cu lattice favors oxygen rearrangement into a chiral adsorption phase. Chiral surface organization is evidenced by formation of enantiomorphic domains on the strained terraces.