title: Combined AFM and STM measurements of a silicene sheet grown on the Ag(111) surface.
abstract: In this paper, we present the first non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) of a silicene on a silver (Ag) surface, obtained by combining non-contact atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). STM images over large areas of silicene grown on the Ag(111) surface show both (√13 × √13)R13.9° and (4 × 4) superstructures. For the widely observed (4 × 4) structure, the observed nc-AFM image is very similar to the one recorded by STM. The structure resolved by nc-AFM is compatible with only one out of two silicon atoms being visible. This indicates unambiguously a strong buckling of the silicene honeycomb layer.
authors.affiliation: Insitute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Cukrovarnicka 10, Praha, 16200, Czech Republic. majzik@fzu.cz
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Majzik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rachid Tchalala
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Svec
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hapala
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Enriquez
authors.forename: A
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authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mayne
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dujardin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jelínek
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oughaddou