title: Probing the electronic transport on the reconstructed Au/Ge(001) surface.
abstract: By using scanning tunnelling potentiometry we characterized the lateral variation of the electrochemical potential µec on the gold-induced Ge(001)-c(8 × 2)-Au surface reconstruction while a lateral current flows through the sample. On the reconstruction and across domain boundaries we find that µec shows a constant gradient as a function of the position between the contacts. In addition, nanoscale Au clusters on the surface do not show an electronic coupling to the gold-induced surface reconstruction. In combination with high resolution scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, we conclude that an additional transport channel buried about 2 nm underneath the surface represents a major transport channel for electrons.
authors.affiliation: Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Franciszek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Krok
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47048 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kaspers
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47048 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bernhart
authors.affiliation: Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikiel
authors.affiliation: Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Benedykt R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Jany
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30-060, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Indyka
authors.affiliation: Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wojtaszek
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47048 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47048 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bobisch
keywords: Au on Ge(001); electronic transport; multi probe STM; scanning tunnelling potentiometry