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Atomic nanowires formed by self-assembled growth on semiconducting surfaces represent a feasible physical realization of quasi-1D electron systems and can be used to study fascinating 1D quantum phenomena. The system in the focus of this thesis, Si(553)-Au, is generated by Au adsorption onto a stepped silicon surface. It features two different chain types, interspersed with each other: A Au chain on the terrace, and a honeycomb chain of graphitic silicon located at the step edge. The silicon atoms at the exposed edges of the latter are predicted to be spin-polarized and charge-ordered [1], leading to an ordered array of local magnetic moments referred to as ``spin chains''.
The present thesis puts this spin chain proposal to an experimental test.
A detailed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) scrutiny reveals a distinct unoccupied density of states (DOS) feature localized at every third Si step-edge atom, which aligns perfectly with the density functional theory (DFT) prediction.
This finding provides strong evidence for the formation of spin chains at the Si(553)-Au step edges, and simultaneously rules out the interpretation of previous studies which attributed the x3 step-edge superstructure to a Peierls instability.
To study the formation of spin chains in further detail, an additional member of the so-called Si(hhk)-Au family -- Si(775)-Au -- is analyzed.
Based on DFT modeling (performed by S.C. Erwin, Naval Research Laboratory, USA) and detailed STM and STS experiments, a new structure model for this surface is developed, and the absence of spin chains at the Si(775)-Au step edges is demonstrated.
The different step-edge charge distributions of all known Si(hhk)-Au surfaces are traced back to an electron transfer between the terrace and the step edge. Accordingly, an unintentional structure defect should create a localized spin at the Si(775)-Au step edge. This prediction is verified experimentally, and suggest that surface chemistry can be used to create and destroy Si spin chains.
Having clarified why spin chains form on some Si(hhk)-Au surfaces but not on others, various interaction effects of the Si(553)-Au spin chains are inspected.
A collaborative analysis by SPA-LEED (M. Horn-von Hoegen group, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany), DFT (S.C. Erwin), and STM reveals strong lateral coupling between adjacent spin chains, bearing interesting implications for their magnetic ordering. The centered geometry uncovered leads to magnetic frustration, and may stabilize a 2D quantum spin liquid.
Moreover, a complex interplay between neighboring Au and Si chains is detected.
Specifically, the interaction is found effectively ``one-way'', i.e., the Si step edges respond to the Au chains but not vice versa.
This unidirectional effect breaks the parity of the Si chains, and creates two different configurations of step edges with opposite directionality.
In addition to the static properties of the Si(553)-Au surface mentioned above, the occurrence of solitons in both wire types is witnessed in real space by means of high-resolution STM imaging. The solitons are found to interact with one another such that both move in a coupled fashion along the chains. Likewise, STM experiments as a function of the tunneling current suggest an excitation of solitons along the step edge by the STM tunneling tip.
Solitons are also found to play an essential role in the temperature-dependent behavior of the Si(553)-Au step edges.
It is an accepted fact that the distinct x3 superstructure of the Si(553)-Au step edges vanishes upon heating to room temperature. As a first step in exploring this transition in detail over a large temperature range, a previously undetected, occupied electronic state associated with the localized step-edge spins is identified by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES).
A tracking of this state as a function of temperature reveals an order-disorder-type transition. Complementary STM experiments attribute the origin of this transition to local, thermally activated spin site hops, which correspond to soliton-anitsoliton pairs.
Finally, a manipulation of the Si(553)-Au atomic wire array is achieved by the stepwise adsorption of potassium atoms. This does not only increase the filling of the Au-induced surface bands culminating in a metal-insulator transition (MIT), but also modifies the Si step-edge charge distribution, as indicated by STM and ARPES experiments.
[1] S. C. Erwin and F. Himpsel, Intrinsic magnetism at silicon surfaces, Nat. Commun. 1,
58 (2010).
In oxidischen Heterostrukturen rufen Neuordnung von Ladung und Spin eine Vielzahl von unerwarteten physikalischen Eigenschaften hervor. Die Möglichkeit, Leitfähigkeit, Magnetismus oder auch Hochtemperatur-Supraleitung zu kontrollieren, machen diese künstlich hergestellten Materialien vor allem in Hinblick auf eine zukünftige Anwendung in der Mikroelektronik äußerst interessant. Dies erfordert jedoch ein grundsätzliches Verständnis für die zugrunde liegenden Mechanismen. Die vorliegende Doktorarbeit befasst sich mit photonengestützter Spektroskopie, die einen direkten Zugang zur elektronischen Struktur dieser Heterostruktursysteme ermöglicht. Ein weiteres Ziel ist es, geeignete spektroskopische Methoden zur Charakterisierung der vergrabenen Schichten zu etablieren.
Zwei prototypische oxidische Mehrschichtsysteme stehen im Zentrum der hier vorgestellten Untersuchungen. Das LaAlO3/SrTiO3-Heterostruktursystem weist ab einer kritischen LaAlO3-Filmdicke an der Grenzfläche ein zweidimensionales Elektronensystem mit hochmobilen Ladungsträgern auf. Als treibender Mechanismus wird die elektronische Rekonstruktion diskutiert. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde dieses zweidimensionale Elektronensystem mithilfe der Photoelektronenspektroskopie und der resonanten inelastischen Röntgenstreuung charakterisiert. Die daraus bestimmten Ladungsträgerdichten weisen im Vergleich mit Daten aus Transportmessungen auf eine Koexistenz von lokalisierten und mobilen Ladungsträgern an der Grenzfläche hin. Die Analyse von Rumpfniveau- und Valenzbandspektren zeigt, dass man zur Erklärung der experimentellen Resultate ein modifiziertes Bild der elektronischen Rekonstruktion benötigt, bei der Sauerstofffehlstellen an der LaAlO3-Oberfläche als Ladungsreservoir dienen könnten. Mithilfe der resonanten Photoelektronenspektroskopie war es möglich, die metallischen Zustände am chemischen Potential impulsaufgelöst zu spektroskopieren. So gelang es erstmals, die vergrabene Fermi-Fläche einer oxidischen Heterostruktur zu vermessen. Außerdem konnten Titan-artige Zustände identifiziert werden, die höchstwahrscheinlich durch Sauerstofffehlstellen im SrTiO3 lokalisiert sind. Diese werden als mögliche Quelle für den Ferromagnetismus interpretiert, der mit der supraleitenden Phase in der LaAlO3/SrTiO3-Heterostruktur koexistiert.
Bei dem anderen hier untersuchten Mehrschichtsystem handelt es sich um die LaNiO3-LaAlO3-Übergitterstruktur. Der Einbau des metallischen LaNiO3 in eine Heterostruktur ist aufgrund seiner Nähe zu einer korrelationsinduzierten isolierenden Phase hinsichtlich einer kontrollierten Ausbildung von neuartigen Phasen besonders interessant. In der Tat beobachtet man unterhalb einer LaNiO3-Schichtdicke von vier Einheitszellen einen kontinuierlichen Metall-Isolator-Übergang, der sich in den Valenzbandspektren durch einen Verlust an Quasiteilchenkohärenz äußert. Auch wenn die impulsaufgelösten
Daten am Fermi-Niveau durch Photoelektronenbeugung beeinflusst sind, so lässt sich dennoch eine Fermi-Fläche identifizieren. Ihre Topologie bietet die Möglichkeit eines Fermi-Flächen-Nestings mit der Ausbildung einer Spindichtewelle. Die Resultate unterstützen die Hinweise auf eine magnetische Ordnung im zweidimensionalen Grundzustand.
Two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators are a new class of materials with properties that are
promising for potential future applications in quantum computers. For example, stanene represents
a possible candidate for a topological insulator made of Sn atoms arranged in a hexagonal
lattice. However, it has a relatively fragile low-energy spectrum and sensitive topology. Therefore,
to experimentally realize stanene in the topologically non-trivial phase, a suitable substrate
that accommodates stanene without compromising these topological properties must be found.
A heterostructure consisting of a SiC substrate with a buffer layer of adsorbed group-III elements
constitutes a possible solution for this problem. In this work, 2D adatom systems of Al and In
were grown epitaxially on SiC(0001) and then investigated structurally and spectroscopically by
scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and photoelectron spectroscopy.
Al films in the high coverage regime \( (\Theta_{ML}\approx2\) ML\( ) \) exhibit unusually large, triangular- and
rectangular-shaped surface unit cells. Here, the low-energy electron diffraction (LEED)
pattern is brought into accordance with the surface topography derived from STM. Another Al
reconstruction, the quasi-one-dimensional (1D) Al phase, exhibits a striped surface corrugation,
which could be the result of the strain imprinted by the overlayer-substrate lattice mismatch.
It is suggested that Al atoms in different surface areas can occupy hexagonal close-packed and
face-centered cubic lattice sites, respectively, which in turn lead to close-packed transition regions
forming the stripe-like corrugations. On the basis of the well-known herringbone reconstruction
from Au(111), a first structural model is proposed, which fits well to the structural data from
STM. Ultimately, however, thermal treatments of the sample could not generate lower coverage
phases, i.e. in particular, a buffer layer structure.
Strong metallic signatures are found for In high coverage films \( (\Theta_{ML}\approx3\) to \(2\) ML\() \) by
scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES),
which form a \( (7\times7) \), \( (6\times4\sqrt{3}) \), and \( (4\sqrt{3}\times4\sqrt{3}) \) surface reconstruction. In all these In phases
electrons follow the nearly-free electron model. Similar to the Al films, thermal treatments could
not obtain the buffer layer system.
Surprisingly, in the course of this investigation a triangular In lattice featuring a \( (1\times1) \)
periodicity is observed to host massive Dirac-like bands at \( K/K^{\prime} \) in ARPES. Based on this
strong electronic similarity with graphene at the Brillouin zone boundary, this new structure is
referred to as \textit{indenene}. An extensive theoretical analysis uncovers the emergence of an electronic
honeycomb network based on triangularly arranged In \textit{p} orbitals. Due to strong atomic spin-orbit
coupling and a comparably small substrate-induced in-plane inversion symmetry breaking this
material system is rendered topologically non-trivial. In indenene, the topology is intimately
linked to a bulk observable, i.e., the energy-dependent charge accumulation sequence within the
surface unit cell, which is experimentally exploited in STS to confirm the non-trivial topological
character. The band gap at \( K/K^{\prime} \), a signature of massive Dirac fermions, is estimated by
ARPES to approximately 125 meV. Further investigations by X-ray standing wave, STM, and
LEED confirm the structural properties of indenene. Thus, this thesis presents the growth and
characterization of the novel quantum spin Hall insulator material indenene.
Two-dimensional triangular lattices of group IV adatoms on semiconductor substrates provide a rich playground for the investigation of Mott-Hubbard physics. The possibility to combine various types of adatoms and substrates makes members of this material class versatile model systems to study the influence of correlation strength, band filling and spin-orbit coupling on the electronic structure - both experimentally and with dedicated many-body calculation techniques. The latter predict exotic ground states such as chiral superconductivity or spin liquid behavior for these frustrated lattices, however, experimental confirmation is still lacking. In this work, three different systems, namely the \(\alpha\)-phases of Sn/SiC(0001), Pb/Si(111), and potassium-doped Sn/Si(111) are investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy and photoemission spectroscopy in this regard. The results are potentially relevant for spintronic applications or quantum computing.
For the novel group IV triangular lattice Sn/SiC(0001), a combined experimental and theoretical study reveals that the system features surprisingly strong electronic correlations because they are boosted by the substrate through its partly ionic character and weak screening capabilities. Interestingly, the spectral function, measured for the first time via angle-resolved photoemission, does not show any additional superstructure beyond the intrinsic \(\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3} R30^{\circ}\) reconstruction, thereby raising curiosity regarding the ground-state spin pattern.
For Pb/Si(111), preceding studies have noted a phase transition of the surface reconstruction from \(\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3} R30^{\circ}\) to \(3 \times 3\) at 86 K. In this thesis, investigations of the low-temperature phase with high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy unveil the formation of a charge-ordered ground state. It is disentangled from a concomitant structural rearrangement which is found to be 2-up/1-down, in contrast to previous predictions. Applying an extended variational cluster approach, a phase diagram of local and nonlocal Coulomb interactions is mapped out. Based on a comparison of theoretical spectral functions with scattering vectors found via quasiparticle interference, Pb/Si(111) is placed in said phase diagram and electronic correlations are found to be the driving force of the charge-ordered state.
In order to realize a doped Mott insulator in a frustrated geometry, potassium was evaporated onto the well-known correlated Sn/Si(111) system. Instead of the expected insulator-to-metal transition, scanning tunneling spectroscopy data indicates that the electronic structure of Sn/Si(111) is only affected locally around potassium atoms while a metallization is suppressed. The potassium atoms were found to be adsorbed on empty \(T_4\) sites of the substrate which eventually leads to the formation of two types of K-Sn alloys with a relative potassium content of 1/3 and 1/2, respectively. Complementary measurements of the spectral function via angle-resolved photoemission reveal that the lower Hubbard band of Sn/Si(111) gradually changes its shape upon potassium deposition. Once the tin and potassium portion on the surface are equal, this evolution is complete and the system can be described as a band insulator without the need to include Coulomb interactions.
In this thesis, a model system of a magnetic topological heterostructure is studied, namely a heterosystem consisting of a single ferromagnetic septuple-layer (SL) of \(MnBi_2Te_4\) on the surface of the three-dimensional topological insulator \(Bi_2Te_3\).
Using MBE and developing a specialized experimental setup, the first part of this thesis deals with the growth of \(Bi_2Te_3\) and thin films of \(MnBi_2Te_4\) on \(BaF_2\)-substrates by the co-evaporation of its binary constituents. The structural analysis is conducted along several suitable probes such as X-ray diffraction (XRD, XRR), AFM and scanning tunnelling electron microscopy (STEM). It is furthermore found that the growth of a single septuple-layer of \(MnBi_2Te_4\) on the surface of \(Bi_2Te_3\) can be facilitated.
By using X-ray absorption and circular magnetic dichroism (XAS, XMCD), the magnetic properties of \(MnBi_2Te_4\) are explored down to the monolayer limit. The layered nature of the vdW crystal and a strong uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy establish stable out-of plane magnetic order at the surface of \(MnBi_2Te_4\), which is stable even down to the 2D limit. Pushing the material system to there, i.e. a single SL \(MnBi_2Te_4\) further allows to study the phase transition of this 2D ferromagnet and extract its critical behaviour with \(T_c \, = \, 14.89~k\) and \(\beta \, = \, 0.484\).
Utilizing bulk crystals of the ferromagnetic \(Fe_3GeTe_2\) as substrate allows to influence, enhance and bias the magnetism in the single SL of \(MnBi_2Te_4\). By growing heterostructures of the type \(MnBi_2Te_4\) -- n layer \(Bi_2Te_3\) -- \(Fe_3GeTe_2\)for n between 0 and 2, it is shown, that a considerable magnetic coupling can be introduced between the \(MnBi_2Te_4\) top-layer and the substrate.
Finally the interplay between topology and magnetism in the ferromagnetic extension is studied directly by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The heterostructure is found to host a linearly dispersing TSS at the centre of the Brillouin zone. Using low temperature and high-resolution ARPES a large magnetic gap opening of \(\sim\) 35 meV is found at the Dirac point of the TSS. By following its temperature evolution, it is apparent that the scaling behaviour coincides with the magnetic order parameter of the modified surface.