Quantum point contact microscopy.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 21790189.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/nl201912u.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
We introduce quantum point contact microscopy (QPCM) as a novel method for surface characterization, where the conductance through a quantum point contact formed by a metal atom between the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope and the surface is mapped across the surface. Application of QPCM to copper and gold (111) shows reproducibly atomic resolution, on gold (111) the alternating atomic stacking of the surface reconstruction is observed in real space. The perspectives for chemical sensitivity in QPCM images are demonstrated for an iron-platinum surface alloy where we observe local variations of the transport current due to changes in the chemical environment of the point contact.
Medical subject headings
- Metal Nanoparticles
- Microscopy
- Nanotechnology