Articolo in rivista, 2021, ENG, 10.1103/PhysRevB.103.165426

Reference plane for the electronic states in thin films on stepped surfaces

Moras, P.; Mentes, T. O.; Schiller, F.; Ferrari, L.; Topwal, D.; Locatelli, A.; Sheverdyaeva, P. M.; Carbone, C.

Istituto di Struttura della Materia-CNR (ISM-CNR), Trieste 34149, Italy Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Basovizza, Trieste 34149, Italy Centro de Fisica de Materiales CSIC/UPV-EHU-Materials Physics Center, E-20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain Donostia International Physics Center, E-20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain Istituto di Struttura della Materia-CNR (ISM-CNR), Roma 00100, Italy Institute of Physics, Sachivalaya Marg, Bhubaneswar 751005, India 7Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India

The question on whether there exists a unique photoelectron reference plane for a stepped solid surface is discussed on the basis of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy data for Ag films grown on Pt(997). Different step morphologies at the surface and interface, revealed by low-energy electron diffraction measurements, result in distinctly different band dispersions of the sp-like quantum well states and of the Shockley surface state. Quantum well standing waves form between the parallel optical surface and interface planes, while the surface state follows the orientation of a local plane tilted with respect to the optical surface. These findings show the connection of the photoelectron reference plane with the local morphology of a solid surface and the spatial extent of the electron wave functions.

Physical Review B 103 (16)

Keywords

Electronic structure, Nanostructures, Thin films, Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, Low energy electron diffraction

CNR authors

Ferrari Luisa, Carbone Carlo, Moras Paolo, Sheverdyaeva Polina

CNR institutes

ISM – Istituto di struttura della materia