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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Analysis of Complex Molecules and Their Reactions on Surfaces by Means of Cluster-Induced Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Published on: March 1, 2020
Imaging the internal electronic structure of a surface adsorbate with low energy ions
Jory A Yarmoff1, Ye Yang, Zdenek Sroubek
1Department of Physics, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA. yarmoff@ucr.edu
Abstract:
Time-of-flight spectra were collected for 2.5 keV 7Li+ backscattered from Fe surfaces covered with submonolayers of iodine. Li singly scattered from the adatoms has a consistently larger neutral fraction than for scattering from the substrate, implying a region of positive charge atop the iodine. The neutral fraction decreases for off-normal exit angles, indicating a nonuniform charge distribution around the polarizable adsorbates. This demonstrates that ion scattering can image the internal electronic structure of an adatom and provides an explanation for anomalous work function changes.
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