Electron dynamics at metal surfaces induced by and observed with STM
The authors of this paper discuss two interesting topics related to electron dynamics at metal surfaces induced by and observed with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The first topic is related to the real space image of the Kondo effect. As a result of electrons tunneling between the STM tip and the localized orbitals of a magnetic atom adsorbed on a metal surface, and between the STM tip and states of metal conduction electrons scattered by the magnetic atom, one could observe peak structures and concentric standing waves about the magnetic atom, respectively, in the corresponding STM image. In the vicinity of the magnetic atom, one observes dip structures in the differential conductance spectra, whose energy widths correspond to the Kondo temperature.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe second topic is related to the dynamics of STM induced desorption of an adsorbate from a metal surface. As a result of an electron tunneling between the STM tip and the metal surface via a localized orbital of the molecule, state transition of the adsorbate from the ground bound state to an excited unbounded state occurs and leads to adsorbate desorption.
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