Effect of quantum confinement of surface electrons on an atomic motion on nanoislands.pdfVIP

Effect of quantum confinement of surface electrons on an atomic motion on nanoislands A.S. Smirnov(1,2), N.N. Negulyaev(1), L. Niebergall(3), W. Hergert(1), A.M. Saletsky(2), and V.S. Stepanyuk(3) (1) Fachbereich Physik, Martin-Luther-Universit¨at, Halle- Wittenberg, Friedemann-Bach-Platz 6, D-06099 Halle, Germany (2) Faculty of Physics, Moscow State University, 119899 Moscow, Russia and (3) Max-Planck-Institut f¨ur Mikrostrukturphysik, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle, Germany 8 Ab initio calculations and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the quantum confine- 0 ment of surface electrons to nanoislands can significantly affect the growth process at low tempera- 0 tures. Formation of empty zones and orbits of an adatom motion is demonstrated for Cu nanoislands 2 on Cu(111). y a Noble (111) metal surfaces support Shockley surface and on top of nanoislands. The quantum confinement is M states1. These electronic states arise in the inverted studied by means of the first principles Korringa-Kohn- 5 L gap of a metal band structure. Electrons occupying Rostocker (KKR) Green’s function method. Our kinetic 1 the Shockley-type surface states form a 2D nearly free Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations reveal that confinement- 2 electron gas confined in the vicinity of the top layer . induced electronic states around and on top of nanois- ] 3 4