True atomic resolution imaging of surface structure and surface charge on the GaAs(110)

Abstract

We demonstrated a novel method to detect the van der Waals and the electrostatic force interactions simultaneously on an atomic scale, which is based on frequency modulation detection method. For the first time, the surface structure and the surface charge at atomic-scale point defects on the GaAs(110) surface have been simultaneously resolved with true atomic resolution under ultra-high vacuum condition. From the bias voltage dependence of the image contrast, we can verify that the sign of the atomically resolved surface charge at the point defect was positive.