Related papers: Atomic-scale imaging of the surface dipole distrib…
Well-ordered stepped semiconductor surfaces attract intense attention owing to the regular arrangements of their atomic steps that makes them perfect templates for the growth of one- dimensional systems, e.g. nanowires. Here, we report on…
Structural disorder causes materials surface electronic properties, e.g. work function ($\phi$) to vary spatially, yet it is challenging to prove exact causal relationships to underlying ensemble disorder, e.g. roughness or granularity. For…
The distance dependence and atomic-scale contrast observed in nominal contact potential difference (CPD) signals recorded by KPFM on surfaces of insulating and semiconducting samples, have stimulated theoretical attempts to explain such…
A numerical analysis of the origin of the atomic-scale contrast in Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is presented. Atomistic simulations of the tip-sample interaction force field have been combined with a non-contact Atomic Force…
Most properties of solid materials are defined by their internal electric field and charge density distributions which so far are difficult to measure with high spatial resolution. Especially for 2D materials, the atomic electric fields…
Scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) is a powerful technique for macroscopic imaging of the electrostatic potential above a surface. Though most often used to image work-function variations of conductive surfaces, it can also be used to…
Combining classical electrodynamics and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we develop a general and rigorous theoretical framework that describes the energetics of metal surfaces under high electric fields. We show that the…
Knowledge of surface forces is the key to understanding a large number of processes in fields ranging from physics to material science and biology. The most common method to study surfaces is dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM). Dynamic…
In the present work we show that the correct determination of surface morphology using Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM) imaging and Power Spectral Density (PSD) analysis of the surface roughness is an extremely demanding task that is easily…
Molecular-level understanding of the interactions between the constituents of an atomic structure is essential for designing novel materials in various applications. This need goes beyond the basic knowledge of the number and types of…
The discrete and charge-separated nature of matter - electrons and nuclei - results in local electrostatic fields that are ubiquitous in nanoscale structures and are determined by their shape, material, and environment. Such fields are…
Experiments performed by friction force microscopy at atomic-scale surface steps on graphite, MoS$_2$, and NaCl in ambient conditions are presented. Both step-down and step-up scans exhibit higher frictional forces at the edge, but…
We demonstrate the application of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) based optical force microscopy to map the optical near-fields with nanometer resolution, limited only by the AFM probe geometry. We map the electric field distributions of…
Electric field, uniform within the slab, emerging due to Fermi level pinning at its both sides is analyzed using DFT simulations of the SiC surface slabs of different thickness. It is shown that for thicker slab the field is nonuniform and…
The surface diffusion potential landscape plays an essential role in a number of physical and chemical processes such as self-assembly and catalysis. Diffusion energy barriers can be calculated theoretically for simple systems, but there is…
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a mechanical profiling technique that allows to image surfaces with atomic resolution. Recent progress in reducing the noise of this technique has led to a resolution level where previously undetectable…
The rapid development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the last two decades was stimulated by the emergence of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques capable of accessing local material properties, including transport, mechanical,…
Although atomic diffusion on metal surfaces under high electric fields has been studied theoretically and experimentally since the 1970s, its accurate and quantitative theoretical description remains a significant challenge. In our previous…
This paper investigates faceting mechanisms induced by electromigration in the regime where atomic steps are transparent. For this purpose we study several vicinal orientations by means of in-situ (optical diffraction, electronic…
The optoelectronic properties of nanoscale systems such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoribbons and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are determined by their dielectric function. This complex, frequency dependent function is…