Electronic transport in planar atomic-scale structures measured by two-probe scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Marek Kolmer (), Pedro Brandimarte, Jakub Lis, Rafal Zuzak, Szymon Godlewski, Hiroyo Kawai, Aran Garcia-Lekue, Nicolas Lorente, Thomas Frederiksen, Christian Joachim, Daniel Sanchez-Portal () and Marek Szymonski
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Marek Kolmer: Jagiellonian University
Pedro Brandimarte: Donostia International Physics Center, DIPC
Jakub Lis: Jagiellonian University
Rafal Zuzak: Jagiellonian University
Szymon Godlewski: Jagiellonian University
Hiroyo Kawai: Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
Aran Garcia-Lekue: Donostia International Physics Center, DIPC
Nicolas Lorente: Center for Materials Physics CSIC-UPV/EHU
Thomas Frederiksen: Donostia International Physics Center, DIPC
Christian Joachim: Nanoscience Group & MANA Satellite, CEMES/CNRS
Daniel Sanchez-Portal: Center for Materials Physics CSIC-UPV/EHU
Marek Szymonski: Jagiellonian University

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Miniaturization of electronic circuits into the single-atom level requires novel approaches to characterize transport properties. Due to its unrivaled precision, scanning probe microscopy is regarded as the method of choice for local characterization of atoms and single molecules supported on surfaces. Here we investigate electronic transport along the anisotropic germanium (001) surface with the use of two-probe scanning tunneling spectroscopy and first-principles transport calculations. We introduce a method for the determination of the transconductance in our two-probe experimental setup and demonstrate how it captures energy-resolved information about electronic transport through the unoccupied surface states. The sequential opening of two transport channels within the quasi-one-dimensional Ge dimer rows in the surface gives rise to two distinct resonances in the transconductance spectroscopic signal, consistent with phase-coherence lengths of up to 50 nm and anisotropic electron propagation. Our work paves the way for the electronic transport characterization of quantum circuits engineered on surfaces.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09315-6

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