title: Atomic force microscopy reveals bistable configurations of dibenzo[a,h]thianthrene and their interconversion pathway.
abstract: We investigated dibenzo[a,h]thianthrene molecules adsorbed on ultrathin layers of NaCl using a combined low-temperature scanning tunneling and atomic force microscope. Two stable configurations exist corresponding to different isomers of free nonplanar molecules. By means of excitations from inelastic electron tunneling we can switch between both configurations. Atomic force microscopy with submolecular resolution allows unambiguous determination of the molecular geometry, and the pathway of the interconversion of the isomers. Our investigations also shed new light on contrast mechanisms in scanning tunneling microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. niko.pavlicek@physik.uni-regensburg.de
authors.forename: Niko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavliček
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fleury
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neu
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niedenführ
authors.forename: Coral
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herranz-Lancho
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruben
authors.forename: Jascha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Repp