D. F. Ogletree

Imaging the Condensation and Evaporation of Molecularly Thin Films of Water with Nanometer Resolution

The polarization force between an electrically charged atomic force microscope tip and a substrate has been used to follow the processes of condensation and evaporation of a monolayer of water on mica at room temperature. Condensation proceeds in two distinct structural phases. Up to about 25 percent humidity, the water film grows by forming two-dimensional clusters of less than a few 1000 angstroms in diameter. Above about 25 percent humidity, a second phase grows, forming large two-dimensional islands with geometrical shapes in epitaxial relation with the underlaying mica lattice. The growth of this second water phase is completed when the humidity reaches about 45 percent. The reverse process of evaporation has also been imaged.

ATOMIC-SCALE FRICTION AND WEAR OF MICA

The frictional behavior of mica surfaces with silicon nitride tips has been investigated systematically with the AFM as a function of load, tip geometry, mica lattice orientation and humidity. Frictional forces are found to be proportional to loads between 10 and 80 nN. The friction coefficient is quite reproducible for different samples, tip radii, scanning speed and direction. At low loads, however, a non-linear behavior of the friction versus load is observed. At high (> 70%) relative humidity and in water, friction is reduced. Repeated scanning of mica surfaces shows layer-by-layer wear processes.

Mapping Local Charge Recombination Heterogeneity by Multidimensional Nanospectroscopic Imaging

Mind the Gap Near-field microscopy has benefited from subwavelength near-field plasmonic probes that make use of the field-concentrating properties of gaps. These probes achieve maximum enhancement only in the tip-substrate gap mode, which can yield large near-field signals, but only for a metallic substrate and for very small tip-substrate gap distances. Bao et al. (p. 1317) designed a probe that unites broadband field enhancement and confinement with bidirectional coupling between far-field and near-field electromagnetic energy. Their tips primarily rely on the internal gap modes of the tip itself, thereby enabling it to image nonmetallic samples. A near-field optical probe designed to maximize its own signal enhancement can be used to image nonmetallic samples. As materials functionality becomes more dependent on local physical and electronic properties, the importance of optically probing matter with true nanoscale spatial resolution has increased. In this work, we mapped the influence of local trap states within individual nanowires on carrier recombination with deeply subwavelength resolution. This is achieved using multidimensional nanospectroscopic imaging based on a nano-optical device. Placed at the end of a scan probe, the device delivers optimal near-field properties, including highly efficient far-field to near-field coupling, ultralarge field enhancement, nearly background-free imaging, independence from sample requirements, and broadband operation. We performed ~40-nanometer–resolution hyperspectral imaging of indium phosphide nanowires via excitation and collection through the probes, revealing optoelectronic structure along individual nanowires that is not accessible with other methods.

Hydrogen adsorption and diffusion on Pd(1 1 1)

Abstract The adsorption, diffusion and ordering of hydrogen on Pd(1xa01xa01) was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy in the temperature range of 37–90 K. At low coverage isolated hydrogen atoms were observed. They formed √3×√3-1H islands as the coverage increased. Above 1/3 monolayer (ML) coverage areas of a new phase with √3×√3-2H structure were formed, with both structures coexisting between 1/3 and 2/3 ML. Finally a 1xa0×xa01 structure was formed after high exposures of hydrogen above 50 K, with a coverage close to 1 ML. Atomically resolved images reveal that H binds to fcc hollow sites.

STM studies on the growth of monolayers: Co on Cu(110) with one half monolayer of preadsorbed oxygen

Abstract The growth of the first cobalt monolayer (ML) on the Cu(110)-(2×1)O surface was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. Extensive exchange of Cu and Co atoms takes place in the first stages of the deposition. The displaced Cu atoms form new Cuue5f8Oue5f8Co mixed islands, with the same structure as those of the terrace surface. At ∼0.25xa0ML Co, a new structure nucleates, which contains three Cu atoms, four Co atoms and two O atoms per 2×2 cell. The structure consists of rows in the [110] direction with an internal periodicity of two lattice units. The rows are separated from one another by two lattice units along the [001] direction, and are found both in-phase and out-of-phase relative to one another. The result is a mixed p(2×2) and c(2×4) surface. The fraction of the surface covered by the new structure increases with Co coverage, and completely covers the surface at ∼1xa0ML Co.

Friction anisotropy: A unique and intrinsic property of decagonal quasicrystals

We show that friction anisotropy is an intrinsic property of the atomic structure of Al-Ni-Co decagonal quasicrystals and not only of clean and well-ordered surfaces that can be prepared in vacuum [J.Y. Park et al., Science (2005)]. Friction anisotropy is manifested both in nanometer size contacts obtained with sharp atomic force microscope (AFM) tips as well as in macroscopic contacts produced in pin-on-disc tribometers. We show that the friction anisotropy, which is not observed when an amorphous oxide film covers the surface, is recovered when the film is removed due to wear. Equally important is the loss of the friction anisotropy when the quasicrystalline order is destroyed due to cumulative wear. These results reveal the intimate connection between the mechanical properties of these materials and their peculiar atomic structure.

Adhesion properties of decagonal quasicrystals in ultrahigh vacuum

The atomic scale adhesion properties of two high-symmetry surfaces of decagonal Al-Ni-Co quasicrystals have been investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in ultrahigh vacuum. Imaging the surface allowed us to distinguish the plastic regime from the elastic (reversible) regime of tip-sample contact. The work of adhesion of the atomically clean quasicrystal surface in the plastic regime is smaller than that of single crystalline Pt(111) by a factor of 10, reflecting a lower surface energy for the quasicrystal surface. However, the adhesion force must be reduced even further, in order to make measurements outside of the plastic regime possible. We present a strategy for doing this that involves chemical modification of the surface or the tip, together with appropriate choice of mechanical contact parameters.