Pb transport on Si(111)-(7x7) following tip induced imbalance

Abstract

Pb on Si(111)-(7x7) shows surprising nucleation and mass transport dynamics at odds with standard theories. To create local imbalances on stable Pb islands we use the tip of a scanning force microscope. We enforce a short, local contact between the island and our tip. The subsequent island height growth and the local contact potential difference are studied via scanning force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy. Though the island has a large volume increase after the contact, we observe that its surrounding wetting layer shows the same Pb density decrease as the global wetting layer. This indicates a collective density thinning of the wetting layer.

arXiv comment9 pages, 2 figures in main text and 5 figures in the Appendix; Paper accepted by Physical Review B: https://journals.aps.org/prb/accepted/5e078Yf5E3015a8088ba499754fdeefbd71da71aa

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• Stranski-Krastanov mechanism of growth and the effect of misfit sign on quantum dots nucleation
• Doping-dependent charge- and spin-density wave orderings in a monolayer of Pb adatoms on Si(111)
• Near-equilibrium measurement of quantum size effects using Kelvin probe force microscopy
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