Photoemission and density functional theory study of Ir(111); energy band gapmapping

Abstract

We have performed combined angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES)experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the electronicstructure of the Ir(111) surface, with the focus on the existence of energy bandgaps. The investigation was motivated by the experimental results suggestingIr(111) as an ideal support for the growth of weakly bonded graphene. Therefore,our prime interest was electronic structure around the symmetry point. In accordance with DFT calculations, ARPES has shown a wide energyband gap with the shape of a parallelogram centred around the point. Within the gap three surface states were identified; one just below the Fermi leveland two spin–orbit split surface states at the bottom of the gap.