title: Atomic-scale morphology and electronic structure of manganese atomic layers underneath epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001).
abstract: We report the fabrication of a novel epitaxial graphene(EG)/Mn/SiC(0001) sandwiched structure through the intercalation of as-deposited Mn atoms on graphene surfaces, with the aid of scanning tunneling microscope, low energy electron diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We found that Mn can intercalate below both sp(3)-hybridized carbon-rich interface layer and monolayer graphene, along with the formation of various embedded Mn islands showing different surface morphologies. The unique trait of the sandwiched system is that the strong interaction between the carbon-rich interface layer and SiC(0001) can be decoupled to some degrees, and contemporaneous, an n-doping effect is observed by mapping the energy band of the system using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Moreover, what deserves our special attention is that the intercalated islands can only evolve below monolayer graphene when a bilayer coexists, accounting for an intriguing graphene thickness-dependent intercalation effect. In the long run, we believe that the construction of graphene/Mn/SiC(0001) systems offers ideal candidates for exploring some intriguing physical properties such as the magnetic property of two-dimensional transition metal systems.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanochemistry (CNC), Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yabo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Cuizu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yubin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mengxi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shubao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xucun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yanfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhongfan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic / Q000737:chemistry*; D004579:Electron Transport; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008345:Manganese / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D017655:Silicon Compounds; D008345:Manganese; D006108:Graphite; C022088:silicon carbide