Color view of atomic highs and lows in tunneling induced light emission.
Based on a detailed experimental study of light emission stimulated with a scanning tunneling microscope, we put forward a consistent picture for the atomic-scale contrasts observed to date on noble metal surfaces. Divergent contrasts near various atomic steps and conflicting interpretations of light emission from a model atomic grating, (2 x 1) reconstructed Au(110), are accounted for. The light intensity modulation results from different spatial distributions of the local density of final states in the elastic and inelastic tunneling channels.
Hoffmann
Germar
G
Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, D-24098 Kiel, Germany.
Maroutian
Thomas
T
Berndt
Richard
R