R. X. Cao

Micromagnetic study of excitation modes of an artificial skyrmion crystal

We present a micromagnetic study on the eigen excitations of an artificial skyrmion crystal, which has been experimentally confirmed to be stable at room temperature without the need of any Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction (DMI). Three in-plane rotational modes and one breathing-type mode are identified. We find the intrinsic origin of the dynamics of skyrmion crystal is the nontrivial magnetic texture instead of DMI. And the rotational direction of a skyrmion is solely determined by the sign of the skyrmion number, irrespective of its circulation sense, evidencing the topological nature of the magnetic skyrmion.

Spectroscopic study of Gd nanostructures quantum confined in Fe corrals

Low dimensional nanostructures have attracted attention due to their rich physical properties and potential applications. The essential factor for their functionality is their electronic properties, which can be modified by quantum confinement. Here the electronic states of Gd atom trapped in open Fe corrals on Ag(111) were studied via scanning tunneling spectroscopy. A single spectroscopic peak above the Fermi level is observed after Gd adatoms are trapped inside Fe corrals, while two peaks appear in empty corrals. The single peak position is close to the higher energy peak of the empty corrals. These findings, attributed to quantum confinement of the corrals and Gd structures trapped inside, are supported by tight-binding calculations. This demonstrates and provides insights into atom trapping in open corrals of various diameters, giving an alternative approach to modify the properties of nano-objects.

Width dependent edge distribution of graphene nanoribbons unzipped from multiwall carbon nanotubes

We present the width dependent study of edge distribution of graphene nanoribbons unzipped from multi-wall nanotubes. The partial unzipping of the carbon nanotubes yields a mixture of carbon nanotubes and nanoribbons. Comparing atomic resolution images of scanning tunneling microscopy with the lattice of graphene, the edge structures of nanoribbons are identified. Below 10 nm, the edges are closer to armchair type. Above 20 nm, the ribbons prefer to have edges close to zigzag type. In between, a more random distribution of the edges is found. The findings are of potential usages for the edge control in graphene nanoribbon based applications.

Spectroscopy of self-assembled one-dimensional atomic string: The role of step edge

Step-edge guided Gd one-dimensional atomic strings on Ag(111) surface are studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy at low temperature. Spectroscopy measurements show a characteristic peak, 65 meV above Fermi level in sharp contrast with tight-binding calculations of a string on a flat terrace. Good agreement can be obtained when the step edges are included in the calculations, revealing their roles on the electronic spectra of the self-assembled strings guided by step edges. The results are further confirmed by the spectroscopy study of Fe strings on a flat terrace and near step edges constructed by atomic manipulation.