2,432 research outputs found
Designer quantum states of matter created atom-by-atom
With the advances in high resolution and spin-resolved scanning tunneling
microscopy as well as atomic-scale manipulation, it has become possible to
create and characterize quantum states of matter bottom-up, atom-by-atom. This
is largely based on controlling the particle- or wave-like nature of electrons,
as well as the interactions between spins, electrons, and orbitals and their
interplay with structure and dimensionality. We review the recent advances in
creating artificial electronic and spin lattices that lead to various exotic
quantum phases of matter, ranging from topological Dirac dispersion to complex
magnetic order. We also project future perspectives in non-equilibrium
dynamics, prototype technologies, engineered quantum phase transitions and
topology, as well as the evolution of complexity from simplicity in this newly
developing field
Magneto-quantum oscillations of the conductance of a tunnel point-contact in the presence of a single defect
The influence of a quantizing magnetic field to the conductance of a
tunnel point contact in the presence of the single defect has been considered.
We demonstrate that the conductance exhibits specific magneto-quantum
oscillations, the amplitude and period of which depend on the distance between
the contact and the defect. We show that a non-monotonic dependence of the
point-contact conductance results from a superposition of two types of
oscillations: A short period oscillation arising from electron focusing by the
field and a long period oscillation of Aharonov-Bohm-type originated from
the magnetic flux passing through the closed trajectories of electrons moving
from the contact to the defect and returning back to the contact.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure
Exploring the phase diagram of the two-impurity Kondo problem
A system of two exchange-coupled Kondo impurities in a magnetic field gives
rise to a rich phase space hosting a multitude of correlated phenomena.
Magnetic atoms on surfaces probed through scanning tunnelling microscopy
provide an excellent platform to investigate coupled impurities, but typical
high Kondo temperatures prevent field-dependent studies from being performed,
rendering large parts of the phase space inaccessible. We present an integral
study of pairs of Co atoms on insulating Cu2N/Cu(100), which each have a Kondo
temperature of only 2.6 K. In order to cover the different regions of the phase
space, the pairs are designed to have interaction strengths similar to the
Kondo temperature. By applying a sufficiently strong magnetic field, we are
able to access a new phase in which the two coupled impurities are
simultaneously screened. Comparison of differential conductance spectra taken
on the atoms to simulated curves, calculated using a third order transport
model, allows us to independently determine the degree of Kondo screening in
each phase.Comment: paper: 14 pages, 4 figures; supplementary: 3 pages, 1 figure, 1 tabl
Colloquium: Atomic spin chains on surfaces
In the present Colloquium, we focus on the properties of 1-D magnetic systems
on solid surfaces. From the emulation of 1-D quantum phases to the potential
realization of Majorana edge states, spin chains are unique systems to study.
The advent of scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) based techniques has
permitted us to engineer spin chains in an atom-by-atom fashion via atom
manipulation and to access their spin states on the ultimate atomic scale.
Here, we present the current state of research on spin correlations and
dynamics of atomic spin chains as studied by the STM. After a brief review of
the main properties of spin chains on solid surfaces, we classify spin chains
according to the coupling of their magnetic moments with the holding substrate.
This classification scheme takes into account that the nature and lifetimes of
the spin-chain excitation intrinsically depend on the holding substrate. We
first show the interest of using insulating layers on metals, which generally
results in an increase in the spin state's lifetimes such that their quantized
nature gets evident and they are individually accessible. Next, we show that
the use of semiconductor substrates promises additional control through the
tunable electron density via doping. When the coupling to the substrate is
increased for spin chains on metals, the substrate conduction electron mediated
interactions can lead to emergent exotic phases of the coupled spin
chain-substrate conduction electron system. A particularly interesting example
is furnished by superconductors. Magnetic impurities induce states in the
superconducting gap. Due to the extended nature of the spin chain, the in-gap
states develop into bands that can lead to the emergence of 1-D topological
superconductivity and, consequently to the appearance of Majorana edge states
Vibrationally Induced Two-Level Systems in Single-Molecule Junctions
Single-molecule junctions are found to show anomalous spikes in dI/dV
spectra. The position in energy of the spikes are related to local vibration
mode energies. A model of vibrationally induced two-level systems reproduces
the data very well. This mechanism is expected to be quite general for
single-molecule junctions. It acts as an intrinsic amplification mechanism for
local vibration mode features and may be exploited as a new spectroscopic tool.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
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