Atomic, electronic and transport properties of In-Au 2D compound on Si(1 0 0).

Two-dimensional (In, Au)/Si(1 0 0)c(2 [Formula: see text] 2) compound was synthesized and its atomic arrangement, electron band structure and low-temperature transport properties were characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy, angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and four-point-probe resistivity measurements assisted with first-principles density-functional-theory calculations. The present results are compared to those obtained earlier for the parent (Tl, Au)/Si(1 0 0)c(2 [Formula: see text] 2) system.

Stepwise self-assembly of C60 mediated by atomic scale moiré magnifiers.

Self-assembly of atoms or molecules on a crystal surface is considered one of the most promising methods to create molecular devices. Here we report a stepwise self-assembly of C60 molecules into islands with unusual shapes and preferred sizes on a gold-indium-covered Si(111) surface. Specifically, 19-mer islands prefer a non-compact boomerang shape, whereas hexagonal 37-mer islands exhibit extraordinarily enhanced stability and abundance. The stepwise self-assembly is mediated by the moiré interference between an island with its underlying lattice, which essentially maps out the adsorption-energy landscape of a C60 on different positions of the surface with a lateral magnification factor and dictates the probability for the subsequent attachment of C60 to an island's periphery. Our discovery suggests a new method for exploiting the moiré interference to dynamically assist the self-assembly of particles and provides an unexplored tactic of engineering atomic scale moiré magnifiers to facilitate the growth of monodispersed mesoscopic structures.

Broken even-odd symmetry in self-selection of distances between nanoclusters due to the presence or absence of topological solitons.

Depositing particles randomly on a 1D lattice is expected to result in an equal number of particle pairs separated by even or odd lattice units. Unexpectedly, the even-odd symmetry is broken in the self-selection of distances between indium magic-number clusters on a Si(100)-2×1 reconstructed surface. Cluster pairs separated by even units are less abundant because they are linked by silicon atomic chains carrying topological solitons, which induce local strain and create localized electronic states with higher energy. Our findings reveal a unique particle-particle interaction mediated by the presence or absence of topological solitons on alternate lattices.