title: Manipulating localized molecular orbitals by single-atom contacts.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xingqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Chensheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Rui Qin
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minot
authors.forename: Michel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Van Hove
authors.forename: Yuning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Ben Zhong
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Nian
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lin