Direct visualization of reversible dynamics in a Si6 cluster embedded in a graphene pore

Jaekwang Lee (), Wu Zhou, Stephen J. Pennycook, Juan-Carlos Idrobo and Sokrates T. Pantelides
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Jaekwang Lee: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Wu Zhou: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Stephen J. Pennycook: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Juan-Carlos Idrobo: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Sokrates T. Pantelides: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Clusters containing only a handful of atoms have been the subject of extensive theoretical and experimental studies, but their direct imaging has not been possible so far, with information about their structure provided mainly by theory. Here we report a direct atomically-resolved observation of a single Si6 cluster trapped in a graphene nanopore. Furthermore, though electron-beam-induced irreversible atomic displacements have been reported before, here we report a sequence of images that show a reversible, oscillatory, conformational change: one of the Si atoms jumps back and forth between two different positions. Density-functional calculations show that the embedded cluster is exploring metastable configurations under the influence of the beam, providing direct information on the atomic-scale energy landscape. The capture of a Si cluster in a graphene nanopore suggests the possibility of patterning nanopores and assembling atomic clusters with a potential for applications.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2671

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