Manipulating localized molecular orbitals by single-atom contacts.
We have fabricated atom-molecule contacts by attachment of single Cu atoms to terpyridine side groups of bis-terpyridine tetra-phenyl ethylene molecules on a Cu(111) surface. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy, spectroscopy, and density functional calculations, we have found that, due to the localization characteristics of molecular orbitals, the Cu-atom contact modifies the state localized at the terpyridine side group which is in contact with the Cu atom but does not affect the states localized at other parts of the molecule. These results illustrate the contact effects at individual orbitals and offer possibilities to manipulate orbital alignments within molecules.
Wang
Weihua
W
Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Shi
Xingqiang
X
Lin
Chensheng
C
Zhang
Rui Qin
RQ
Minot
Christian
C
Van Hove
Michel A
MA
Hong
Yuning
Y
Tang
Ben Zhong
BZ
Lin
Nian
N