Atomistic Picture of Charge Density Wave Formation at Surfaces

Simone Wall, Boris Krenzer, Stefan Wippermann, Simone Sanna, Friedrich Klasing, Anja Hanisch-Blicharski, Martin Kammler, Wolf Gero Schmidt, and Michael Horn-von Hoegen
Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 186101 – Published 2 November 2012

Abstract

We used ultrafast electron diffraction and density-functional theory calculations to gain insight into the charge density wave (CDW) formation on In/Si(111). Weak excitation by a femtosecond-laser pulse results in the melting of the CDW. The immediate freezing is hindered by a barrier for the motion of atoms during the phase transition: The melted CDW constitutes a long-lived, supercooled phase and is strong evidence for a first-order transition. The freezing into the CDW is triggered by preexisting adsorbates. Starting at these condensation nuclei, the CDW expands one dimensionally on the In/Si(111) surface, with a constant velocity of more than 80m/s.

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  • Received 25 June 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.186101

© 2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Simone Wall1,*,†, Boris Krenzer1, Stefan Wippermann2,‡, Simone Sanna2, Friedrich Klasing1, Anja Hanisch-Blicharski1, Martin Kammler1,§, Wolf Gero Schmidt2, and Michael Horn-von Hoegen1

  • 1Department of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University Duisburg-Essen, D-47057 Duisburg, Germany
  • 2Chair of Theoretical Physics, Paderborn University, D-33095 Paderborn, Germany

  • *simone.wall@uni-due.de
  • Present address: Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, D-45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
  • Present address: Department of Chemistry, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
  • §Present address: University of Applied Science, 93049 Regensburg, Germany.

Comments & Replies

Comment on “Atomistic Picture of Charge Density Wave Formation at Surfaces”

Hyungjoon Shim, Jonghoon Yeo, Geunseop Lee, and Hanchul Kim
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 149601 (2013)

Frigge et al. Reply:

T. Frigge, S. Wall, B. Krenzer, St. Wippermann, S. Sanna, F. Klasing, A. Hanisch-Blicharski, M. Kammler, W. G. Schmidt, and M. Horn-von Hoegen
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 149602 (2013)

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Vol. 109, Iss. 18 — 2 November 2012

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