title: Vertical atomic manipulation with dynamic atomic-force microscopy without tip change via a multi-step mechanism.
abstract: Manipulation is the most exciting feature of the non-contact atomic force microscopy technique as it allows building nanostructures on surfaces. Usually vertical manipulations are accompanied by an abrupt tip modification leading to a change of contrast. Here we report on low-temperature experiments demonstrating vertical manipulations of 'super'-Cu atoms on the p(2 × 1) Cu(110):O surface, both extractions to and depositions from the tip, when the imaging contrast remains the same. These results are rationalized employing a novel and completely general method that combines density functional theory calculations for obtaining energy barriers as a function of tip height and a Kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm for studying the tip dynamics and extraction of manipulation statistics. The model reveals a novel multi-step manipulation mechanism combining activated jumps of 'super'-Cu atoms to/from the tip with their drag by and diffusion on the tip.
authors: Physics Department, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Bamidele
authors: Department of Applied Physics, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors: S H
authors: SH
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Applied Physics, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Kinoshita
authors: Center for Computational Materials Science, Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84511 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Turanský
authors: Department of Applied Physics, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Naitoh
authors: Department of Applied Physics, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors: Y J
authors: YJ
authors: Li
authors: Department of Applied Physics, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Sugawara
authors: Center for Computational Materials Science, Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84511 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Štich
authors: Physics Department, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Kantorovich