We present the first scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of hydrogenic acceptor wave functions in silicon. These acceptor states appear as square ring-like features in STM images and originate from near-surface defects introduced by high-energy bismuth implantation into a silicon (001) wafer. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy confirms the formation of a p-type surface. Effective-mass and tight-binding calculations provide an excellent description of the observed square ring-like features, confirming their acceptor character and attributing their symmetry to the light- and heavy-hole band degeneracy in silicon. Detailed understanding of the energetic and spatial properties of acceptor wave functions in silicon is essential for engineering large-scale acceptor-based quantum devices.
@article{arxiv.2505.13041,
title = {Imaging the Acceptor Wave Function Anisotropy in Silicon},
author = {Manuel Siegl and Julian Zanon and Joseph Sink and Adonai Rodrigues da Cruz and Holly Hedgeland and Neil J. Curson and Michael E. Flatté and Steven R. Schofield},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.13041},
year = {2025}
}