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Uncertainty principle for experimental measurements: Fast versus slow probes
P Hansmann1,2, T Ayral1,3, A Tejeda4
1Centre de Physique Théorique, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
Scientific Reports
|February 3, 2016
Summary
Experimental findings in solid-state systems depend on measurement time scales. This study resolves contradictory results in adatom systems by considering fluctuation time scales near instabilities.
Area of Science:
- Solid-state physics
- Quantum mechanics
- Materials science
Background:
- Physical measurement outcomes are influenced by the experimental probe's time scale.
- In solid-state systems, interacting degrees of freedom near instabilities and varying fluctuation timescales can cause conflicting experimental observations.
- Adatom systems on semiconductor surfaces exhibit different ordering phenomena across various experimental techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To resolve apparent contradictions in experimental findings for adatom systems on semiconductor surfaces.
- To explain how different experimental techniques suggest disparate ordering phenomena.
- To provide a unified framework for understanding ordering phenomena in solid-state systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized advanced first-principles many-body techniques.
- Analyzed the time scales of fluctuations near charge, spin, and orbital instabilities.
- Investigated systems of adatoms adsorbed on semiconductor surfaces.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that the time scale of experimental probes dictates measurement outcomes.
- Resolved discrepancies between angle-resolved photoemission, scanning tunneling microscopy, and core-level spectroscopy findings.
- Identified the critical role of fluctuation time scales in determining observed ordering phenomena.
Conclusions:
- The time scale of experimental probes is crucial for interpreting results in solid-state systems.
- A re-interpretation of ordering phenomena and fluctuations is proposed for various solid-state materials.
- Findings have implications for understanding phenomena in organic materials and high-temperature superconductors.
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