Real-Time Imaging of K atoms on Graphite: Interactions and Diffusion
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
2012-06-20 v1
Abstract
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at liquid helium temperature is used to image potassium adsorbed on graphite at low coverage (~0.02 monolayer). Single atoms appear as protrusions on STM topographs. A statistical analysis of the position of the atoms demonstrates repulsion between adsorbates, which is quantified by comparison with molecular dynamics simulations. This gives access to the dipole moment of a single adsorbate, found to be 10.5 Debye. Time lapse imaging shows that long range order is broken by thermally activated diffusion, with a 32 meV barrier to hopping between graphite lattice sites.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1009.6037,
title = {Real-Time Imaging of K atoms on Graphite: Interactions and Diffusion},
author = {J. Renard and M. B. Lundeberg and J. A. Folk and Y. Pennec},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1009.6037},
year = {2012}
}