TY  - EJOUR
AU  - Bolat, Rustem
AU  - Guevara Parra, Jose Maria
AU  - Leinen, Philipp
AU  - Knol, Marvin
AU  - Arefi, Hadi
AU  - Maiworm, Michael
AU  - Findeisen, R.
AU  - Temirov, Ruslan
AU  - Hofmann, O. T.
AU  - Maurer, R. J.
AU  - Tautz, Frank Stefan
AU  - Wagner, Christian
TI  - The electrostatic potential of atomic nanostructures on a metal surface
M1  - FZJ-2025-01784
PY  - 2023
AB  - The discrete and charge-separated nature of matter - electrons and nuclei - results in local electrostatic fields that are ubiquitous in nanoscale structures and are determined by their shape, material, and environment. Such fields are relevant in catalysis, nanoelectronics and quantum nanoscience, and their control will become even more important as the devices in question reach few-nanometres dimensions. Surface-averaging techniques provide only limited experimental access to these potentials at and around individual nanostructures. Here, we use scanning quantum dot microscopy to investigate how electric potentials evolve as nanostructures are built up atom by atom. We image the potential over adatoms, chains, and clusters of Ag and Au atoms on Ag(111) and quantify their surface dipole moments. By focusing on the total charge density, these data establish a new benchmark for ab initio calculations. Indeed, our density functional theory calculations not only show an impressive agreement with experiment, but also allow a deeper analysis of the mechanisms behind the dipole formation, their dependence on fundamental atomic properties and on the atomic configuration of the nanostructures. This allows us to formulate an intuitive picture of the basic mechanisms behind dipole formation, which enables better design choices for future nanoscale systems such as single atom catalysts.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)25
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/1039745
ER  -