Role of the 2D Surface State Continuum and Projected Band Gap in Charge Transfer in Front of a Cu(111) Surface

Abstract

Electron capture by Li+ and H projectiles in grazing scattering from Cu(111) and Cu(110) surfaces is studied experimentally and theoretically. Whereas data for Cu(110) can be described by established theoretical methods treating resonant charge transfer with a free-electron metal, data for Cu(111) show pronounced deviations from this approach. We interpret our observations by the effect of the projected L-band gap of the Cu(111) surface. In particular, the quantum states of reduced dimension (2D surface state continuum) play a dominant role in electron transfer.