Orbital hybridization in graphene-based artificial atoms

Area of Science:

• Quantum physics
• Condensed matter physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Real atoms form matter through orbital hybridization and bond formation.
• Artificial atoms, exhibiting discrete energy levels, serve as solid-state analogs for studying these atomic processes.
• While interatomic bond formation is observed in artificial atoms, direct evidence of intra-atomic orbital hybridization is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate intra-atomic orbital hybridization in artificial atoms.
• To investigate the role of confining potential anisotropy in inducing orbital hybridization.
• To visualize and theoretically validate the hybridized orbital states.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of artificial atoms with tunable shapes.
• Utilizing anisotropy in the confining potential to induce hybridization.
• Direct real-space visualization of hybridized orbits.
• Numerical calculations and analytical derivations for validation.

Main Results:

• Successfully realized and visualized orbital hybridization in artificial atoms.
• Demonstrated that anisotropic confining potentials lead to hybridization between quasibound states.
• Experimental results were accurately reproduced by theoretical models.
• Observed hybridization between states with different orbital quantum numbers.

Conclusions:

• Direct experimental evidence for intra-atomic orbital hybridization in artificial atoms has been established.
• Artificial atoms offer a platform for exploring quantum phenomena not accessible in real atoms.
• This work enables the design of novel artificial matter and inspires advanced quantum state control.