Calibration of the length of a chain of single gold atoms

Using a scanning tunnelling microscope or mechanically controllable break junction it has been shown that it is possible to control the formation of a wire made of single gold atoms. In these experiments an interatomic distance between atoms in the chain of ∼3.6 Å was reported which is not consistent with recent theoretical calculations. Here, using precise calibration procedures for both techniques, we measure the length of the atomic chains. Based on the distance between the peaks observed in the chain length histogram we find the mean value of the interatomic distance before chain rupture to be 2.5±0.2 Å. This value agrees with the theoretical calculations for the bond length. The discrepancy with the previous experimental measurements was due to the presence of He gas, that was used to promote the thermal contact, and which affects the value of the work function that is commonly used to calibrate distances in scanning tunnelling microscopy and mechanically controllable break junctions at low temperatures.

Influence of alkylphosphonic acid grafting on the electronic and magnetic properties of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 surfaces

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are highly promising materials for molecular engineering of electronic and spintronics devices thanks to their surface functionalization properties. In this direction, alkylphosphonic acids have been used to functionalize the most common ferromagnetic electrode in organic spintronics: La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO). However, a study on the influence of SAMs grafting on LSMO electronic and magnetic properties is still missing. In this letter, we probe the influence of alkylphosphonic acids-based SAMs on the electronic and magnetic properties of the LSMO surface using different spectroscopies. We observe by X-ray photoemission and X-ray absorption that the grafting of the molecules on the LSMO surface induces a reduction of the Mn oxidation state. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements also show that the LSMO work function can be modified by surface dipoles opening the door to both tune the charge and spin injection efficiencies in organic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes.

Characterization of the interfaces between Au(hkl) single crystal basal plane electrodes and [Emmim][Tf2N] ionic liquid

The interface between Au(hkl) basal planes and the ionic liquid 1-Ethyl-2,3-dimethyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfonil imide was investigated by using both cyclic voltammetry and laser-induced temperature jump. Cyclic voltammetry showed characteristic features, revealing surface sensitive processes at the interfaces Au(hkl)/[Emmim][Tf2N]. From laser-induced heating the potential of maximum entropy (pme) is determined. Pme is close to the potential of zero charge (pzc) and, therefore, the technique provides relevant interfacial information. The following order for the pme values has been found: Au(111) > Au(100) > Au(110). This order correlates well with work function data and values of pzc in aqueous solutions.

Optimizing the number of stations in arrays measurements: experimental outcomes for different array geometries and the f-k method

Array measurements have become a valuable tool for site response characterization in a non-invasive way. The array design, i.e. size, geometry and number of stations, has a great influence in the quality of the obtained results. From the previous parameters, the number of available stations uses to be the main limitation for the field experiments, because of the economical and logistical constraints that it involves. Sometimes, from the initially planned array layout, carefully designed before the fieldwork campaign, one or more stations do not work properly, modifying the prearranged geometry. Whereas other times, there is not possible to set up the desired array layout, because of the lack of stations. Therefore, for a planned array layout, the number of operative stations and their arrangement in the array become a crucial point in the acquisition stage and subsequently in the dispersion curve estimation. In this paper we carry out an experimental work to analyze which is the minimum number of stations that would provide reliable dispersion curves for three prearranged array configurations (triangular, circular with central station and polygonal geometries). For the optimization study, we analyze together the theoretical array responses and the experimental dispersion curves obtained through the f-k method. In the case of the f-k method, we compare the dispersion curves obtained for the original or prearranged arrays with the ones obtained for the modified arrays, i.e. the dispersion curves obtained when a certain number of stations n is removed, each time, from the original layout of X geophones. The comparison is evaluated by means of a misfit function, which helps us to determine how constrained are the studied geometries by stations removing and which station or combination of stations affect more to the array capability when they are not available. All this information might be crucial to improve future array designs, determining when it is possible to optimize the number of arranged stations without losing the reliability of the obtained results.

Energy Loss Function of Solids Assessed by Ion Beam Energy-Loss Measurements: Practical Application to Ta2O5

We present a study where the energy loss function of Ta2O5, initially derived in the optical limit for a limited region of excitation energies from reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) measurements, was improved and extended to the whole momentum and energy excitation region through a suitable theoretical analysis using the Mermin dielectric function and requiring the fulfillment of physically motivated restrictions, such as the f- and KK-sum rules. The material stopping cross section (SCS) and energy-loss straggling measured for 300–2000 keV proton and 200–6000 keV helium ion beams by means of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) were compared to the same quantities calculated in the dielectric framework, showing an excellent agreement, which is used to judge the reliability of the Ta2O5 energy loss function. Based on this assessment, we have also predicted the inelastic mean free path and the SCS of energetic electrons in Ta2O5.