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Van der Waals Interactions01:24

Van der Waals Interactions

Atoms and molecules interact with each other through intermolecular forces. These electrostatic forces arise from attractive or repulsive interactions between particles with permanent, partial, or temporary charges. The intermolecular forces between neutral atoms and molecules are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, and dispersion forces, collectively known as van der Waals forces.Polar molecules have a partial positive charge on one end and a partial negative charge on the other end of the molecule,...
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Total Internal Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (TIRAS) for the Detection of Solvated Electrons at a Plasma-liquid Interface
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Electron-plasmon and electron-electron interactions at a single atom contact.

Guillaume Schull1, Nicolas Néel, Peter Johansson

  • 1Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, D-24098 Kiel, Germany.

Physical Review Letters
|March 5, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers studied light emission during the transition from tunneling to contact in gold. Optical spectra revealed distinct single and multielectron processes during single-atom contact formation.

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Published on: December 5, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Condensed matter physics
  • Surface science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) enables atomic-scale surface investigations.
  • Understanding electron transport at the single-atom contact is crucial for nanoscale electronics.
  • Light emission in STM can provide insights into electron-electron interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the transition from tunneling to atomic contact on Au(111) surfaces.
  • To analyze the optical spectra emitted during contact formation.
  • To elucidate the underlying physical mechanisms, including plasmon excitation and hot-hole processes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to probe a gold (Au(111)) surface.
  • Detecting and analyzing the light emitted during the tunneling to contact transition.
  • Interpreting experimental optical spectra using theoretical models.

Main Results:

  • Observed distinct optical spectra corresponding to single- and multi-electron processes.
  • Tracked the evolution of these spectral features as a single-atom contact was formed.
  • Correlated spectral changes with plasmon excitation and hot-hole generation.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides a detailed optical characterization of the tunneling-to-contact transition at the atomic scale.
  • Plasmon excitation and hot-hole processes are identified as key mechanisms governing light emission during contact formation.
  • This work offers fundamental insights into electron dynamics at nanocontacts.