Confinement of one-dimensional electrons in dimer row segments at Ge/Si(001) surfaces

Abstract

During the initial growth, Si(001) surfaces were covered by thin Ge wetting layers. At the wetting layer surfaces, Ge atoms were reconstructed into dimers, which were aligned along the [110] direction to form one-dimensional (1D) ‘dimer rows’. In addition, the dimer rows were partitioned by dimer vacancy lines at the Ge/Si(001) surfaces. As a result, the surfaces were covered spontaneously by an array of 1D dimer row segments. Scanning tunneling microscope images demonstrated that the 1D free-electrons in the dimer rows are confined in each segment and form an ultra-high density array of 1D quantum wells at the surfaces.