Electronic and structural properties of nitrogen adsorbed Nb(100) surfaces: An ab initio study

Abstract

We have performed an ab initio total energy investigation of the electronic and structural properties of nitrogen adsorbed Nb(100) surface, N/Nb(100). We find an energetic preference for the nitrogen adsorption on the hollow sites of the Nb(100) surface. Upon the presence of N adatoms, there is a reduction of the electronic density of states near the Fermi level. However, the metallic character of the Nb(100) surface has been maintained. The (occupied) electronic states of N adatoms are resonant within the valence band of Nb(100), mostly lying at 4 eV below the Fermi level. Further investigations reveal the formation of energetically stable N/Nb(100)–(n × 1) phase, being the (2 × 1), (5 × 1), and (10 × 1) the most likely ones. Those (n × 1) structures are composed by NbN stripes separated by N vacancy lines. Our scanning tunneling microscopy simulations indicate the formation of bright lines lying on the Nb atoms neighboring the (dark) N vacancy lines, giving rise to an anisotropic electronic structure on the N/Nb(100)–(n × 1) surface. That is, the metallic character of the surface has been strengthened along the vacancy-lines.