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Published on: December 4, 2014
Deposition of Ca on the 2H-NbSe2 surface: Competing processes
1Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
Abstract:
The interaction of Ca evaporated in vacuum onto a 2H-NbSe2 surface held at room temperature was studied by photoelectron spectroscopy. Indications of an intercalation reaction were observed initially, but larger Ca depositions resulted in a layer-breaking reaction producing a disordered overlayer of varying compositions. The layer-breaking reaction is likely due to the intercalation compound becoming unstable as the local Ca concentration exceeds the threshold value. Continued Ca depositions eventually resulted in the growth of three-dimensional islands of Ca metal, exposing relatively unaffected NbSe2 layers between the Ca islands.
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