We report a study of structural and electronic properties of a germanium layer on Al(111) using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low energy electron diffraction and core-level photoelectron spectroscopy. Experimental results show that a germanium layer can be formed at a relatively high substrate temperature showing either (3×3) or (7×7)R±19.1{\deg} reconstructions. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory suggest an atomic model consisting of a strongly buckled (2×2) germanene layer, which is stable in two different orientations on Al(111). Simulated STM of both orientations fit nicely with experimental STM images and the Ge 3d core-level data decomposed into four components is consistent with the suggested model.
@article{arxiv.1711.08300,
title = {Coexistence of strongly buckled germanene phases on Al(111)},
author = {W. Wang and R. I. G. Uhrberg},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1711.08300},
year = {2017}
}