Local spectroscopy and atomic imaging of tunneling current, forces, and dissipation on graphite.

Theory predicts that the currents in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and the attractive forces measured in atomic force microscopy (AFM) are directly related. Atomic images obtained in an attractive AFM mode should therefore be redundant because they should be similar to STM. Here, we show that while the distance dependence of current and force is similar for graphite, constant-height AFM and STM images differ substantially depending on the distance and bias voltage.

Electron transport through YBa2Cu3O7-delta grain boundary interfaces between 4.2 and 300 K.

The current-induced dissipation in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) grain boundary tunnel junctions has been measured between 4.2 and 300 K. It is found that the resistance of 45 degrees (100)/(110) junctions decreases linearly by a factor of 4 when their temperature is increased from 100 to 300 K.

Force microscopy with light-atom probes.

The charge distribution in atoms with closed electron shells is spherically symmetric, whereas atoms with partially filled shells can form covalent bonds with pointed lobes of increased charge density. Covalent bonding in the bulk can also affect surface atoms, leading to four tiny humps spaced by less than 100 picometers in the charge density of adatoms on a (001) tungsten surface. We imaged these charge distributions by means of atomic force microscopy with the use of a light-atom probe (a graphite atom), which directly measured high-order force derivatives of its interaction with a tungsten tip.

Revealing the hidden atom in graphite by low-temperature atomic force microscopy.

Carbon, the backbone material of life on Earth, comes in three modifications: diamond, graphite, and fullerenes. Diamond develops tetrahedral sp3 bonds, forming a cubic crystal structure, whereas graphite and fullerenes are characterized by planar sp2 bonds. Polycrystalline graphite is the basis for many products of everyday life: pencils, lubricants, batteries, arc lamps, and brushes for electric motors.

Subatomic Features on the Silicon (111)-(7x7) Surface Observed by Atomic Force Microscopy.

The atomic force microscope images surfaces by sensing the forces between a sharp tip and a sample. If the tip-sample interaction is dominated by short-range forces due to the formation of covalent bonds, the image of an individual atom should reflect the angular symmetry of the interaction. Here, we report on a distinct substructure in the images of individual adatoms on silicon (111)-(7x7), two crescents with a spherical envelope.