Abstract
Self-assembled Au atomic wires on stepped Si surfaces are metallic, as evidenced by a one-dimensionally dispersing plasmonic excitation. Here we investigate the effects of oxidization on metallicity along such Au atomic wires on a regularly stepped Si(553) surface, by employing infrared absorption and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopies. Our results indicate that only the Si environment undergoes oxidation, which has a remarkably small effect on the plasmon dispersion. Only close to $k_{\parallel}\rightarrow 0$ the plasmon dispersion ends at increasingly higher energies as a function of oxygen exposure, which is attributed to standing wave formation on small sections of Au wires generated by the introduction of O atoms as scattering centers, not to electronic gap opening. This interpretation is in full agreement with the findings by infrared spectroscopy and with low energy electron diffraction.
Highlights
Metal-induced atomic wires are the ultimate limit of long-range ordered quasi-onedimensional electronic systems and may serve as the smallest possible interconnects in future electronic circuits
Close to k → 0 the plasmon dispersion ends at increasingly higher energies as a function of oxygen exposure, which is attributed to standing wave formation on small sections of Au wires generated by the introduction of O atoms as scattering centers, not to electronic gap opening
This interpretation is in full agreement with the findings by infrared spectroscopy and with low energy electron diffraction. environment of metallic chains by adsorption and in particular by oxidation
Summary
Metal-induced atomic wires are the ultimate limit of long-range ordered quasi-onedimensional (quasi-1D) electronic systems and may serve as the smallest possible interconnects in future electronic circuits. Confinement of conductive electrons within these systems gives rise to quasi-1D metallic bands with dispersion along the chains and brings up 1D electron channels with high electron mobility.[1] In this respect, self-organized gold atomic wires on Si(hhk) surfaces are interesting due to their well defined and long-range ordered surface structures. Recent studies on Si(hhk)-Au surfaces show that the gold-related bands are no longer free-electron-like, since they are strongly hybridized with the Si surface electronic states, close to EF .8–11. The nature of coupling between the wires and substrate defines the electronic properties of metallic chains Recent studies on Si(hhk)-Au surfaces show that the gold-related bands are no longer free-electron-like, since they are strongly hybridized with the Si surface electronic states, close to EF .8–11 the nature of coupling between the wires and substrate defines the electronic properties of metallic chains
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