Experimental evidence for spin-split bands in a one-dimensional chain structure.
Gold atom chains on vicinal Si(111) surfaces exhibit an unusual doublet of half-filled bands, whose origin has remained uncertain. The splitting is identified by angle-resolved photoemission as a spin splitting induced by the spin-orbit interaction (Rashba effect), in agreement with a theoretical prediction by Sánchez-Portal, Riikonen, and Martin. This interaction leads to a characteristic pattern of avoided band crossings at a superlattice zone boundary. Two out of four crossings are avoided, with a minigap E_{G}=85 meV and a k offset of 0.05 A;{-1}.
Barke
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Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin Madison, 1150 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
Zheng
Fan
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Rügheimer
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Himpsel
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