Chains of gold atoms with tailored electronic states

Abstract

A combination of angle-resolved photoemission and scanning tunneling microscopy is used to explore the possibilities for tailoring the electronic structure of gold atom chains on silicon surfaces. It is shown that the interchain coupling and the band filling can be adjusted systematically by varying the step spacing via the tilt angle from Si(111). Planes with odd Miller indices are stabilized by chains of gold atoms. Metallic bands and Fermi surfaces are observed. These findings suggest that atomic chains at stepped semiconductor substrates make a highly flexible class of solids approaching the one-dimensional limit.