Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of surfaces where surface states dominate

Abstract

Abstract The spectroscopic study with the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) of systems where surface states are prominent is discussed. The observation of surface states in the STM and the success of perturbative calculations of the tunneling current in such cases is attributed to a common cause, namely the finite intrinsic lifetime of electrons in the surface state. A computational framework is described for modeling scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of Shockley surface states on close-packed faces of the noble metals, including their interactions with surface structures. This is used to model experiments on both clean surfaces and within atomic corrals, highlighting the role of the STM in investigating both elastic and inelastic scattering mechanisms at surfaces.