Interplay of electronic structure and atomic ordering on surfaces: Momentum-resolved measurements of Cs atoms adsorbed on a Ag(111) substrate

Surface-state mediated interactions between adsorbates on surfaces can be exploited for the fabrication of self-organized nanostructures such as two-dimensional superlattices of adatoms. Using angle-resolved photoemission we provide experimental evidence that these interactions can be drastically modified by adsorbate-induced alterations in the surface potential barrier. This, in turn, will cause significant changes in the ordering of the adsorbates. For the studied case example of Cs adatoms on Ag(111) our momentum-resolved measurements reveal the surface state Fermi wave vector to be increased by as much as $\sim$100% for coverages around 0.03 ML. Our results unravel the origin for the hitherto puzzling and unexpectedly small lattice constant in the adatom superlattice observed for this system.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Complete determination of molecular orbitals by measurement of phase symmetry and electron density.

Several experimental methods allow measuring the spatial probability density of electrons in atoms, molecules and solids, that is, the absolute square of the respective single-particle wave function. But it is an intrinsic problem of the measurement process that the information about the phase is generally lost during the experiment. The symmetry of this phase, however, is a crucial parameter for the knowledge of the full orbital information in real space. Here, we report on a key experiment that demonstrates that the phase symmetry can be derived from a strictly experimental approach from the circular dichroism in the angular distribution of photoelectrons. In combination with the electron density derived from the same experiment, the full quantum mechanical wave function can thus be determined experimentally

Direct Observation of Interband Spin-Orbit Coupling in a Two-Dimensional Electron System

We report the direct observation of interband spin-orbit (SO) coupling in a two-dimensional (2D) surface electron system, in addition to the anticipated Rashba spin splitting. Using angle-resolved photoemission experiments and first-principles calculations on Bi/Ag/Au heterostructures we show that the effect strongly modifies the dispersion as well as the orbital and spin character of the 2D electronic states, thus giving rise to considerable deviations from the Rashba model. The strength of the interband SO coupling is tuned by the thickness of the thin film structures

Влияние состава газовой среды на параметры упрочнения стали при азотировании в тлеющем разряде

В работе были исследованы процессы азотирования стальных деталей машиностроения в плазме тлеющего разряда при замене традиционного аммиака на смесь газов, состоящую из азота, аргона и метана. Проведено сравнение параметров азотированных слоев в зависимости от состава рабочей среды и длительности обработки. Оценены технологические параметры и возможности применения метода в реальном производстве.In the work, the processes of nitriding of steel parts of machine building in a glow discharge plasma were investigated when traditional ammonia was replaced by a mixture of gases consist of nitrogen, argon and methane. The parameters of the nitrided layers are compared depending on the composition of the working environment and the processing time. The technological parameters and possibilities of application of the method in real production are estimated

Irreversible proliferation of magnetic moments at cleaved surfaces of the topological Kondo insulator SmB6

The compound SmB$_6$ is the best established realization of a topological Kondo insulator, in which a topological insulator state is obtained through Kondo coherence. Recent studies have found evidence that the surface of SmB$_6$ hosts ferromagnetic domains, creating an intrinsic platform for unidirectional ballistic transport at the domain boundaries. Here, surface-sensitive X-ray absorption (XAS) and bulk-sensitive resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra are measured at the Sm N$_{4,5}$-edge, and used to evaluate electronic symmetries, excitations and temperature dependence near the surface of cleaved samples. The XAS data show that the density of large-moment atomic multiplet states on a cleaved surface grows irreversibly over time, to a degree that likely exceeds a related change that has recently been observed in the surface 4f orbital occupation

Geometry-induced spin-filtering in photoemission maps from WTe2_2 surface states

We demonstrate that an important quantum material WTe$_2$ exhibits a new type of geometry-induced spin-filtering effect in photoemission, stemming from low symmetry that is responsible for its exotic transport properties. Through the laser-driven spin-polarized angle-resolved photoemission Fermi surface mapping, we showcase highly asymmetric spin textures of electrons photoemitted from the surface states of WTe$_2$. Such asymmetries are not present in the initial state spin textures, which are bound by the time-reversal and crystal lattice mirror plane symmetries. The findings are reproduced qualitatively by theoretical modeling within the one-step model photoemission formalism. The effect could be understood within the free-electron final state model as an interference due to emission from different atomic sites. The observed effect is a manifestation of time-reversal symmetry breaking of the initial state in the photoemission process, and as such it cannot be eliminated, but only its magnitude influenced, by special experimental geometries.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure