title: Atomically-resolved edge states on surface-nanotemplated graphene explored at room temperature.
abstract: Graphene edges present localized electronic states strongly depending on their shape, size and border configuration. Chiral- or zigzag-ended graphene nanostructures develop spatially and spectrally localized edge states around the Fermi level; however, atomic scale investigations of such graphene terminations and their related electronic states are very challenging and many of their properties remain unexplored. Here we present a combined experimental and theoretical study on graphene stripes showing strong metallic edge states at room temperature. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy, we demonstrate the use of vicinal Pt(111) as a template for the growth of graphene stripes and characterize their electronic structure. We find the formation of a sublattice localized electronic state confined on the free-standing edges of the graphene ribbons at energies close to the Fermi level. These experimental results are reproduced and understood with tight-binding and ab initio calculations. Our results provide a new way of synthesizing wide graphene stripes with zigzag edge termination and open new prospects in the study of valley and spin phenomena at their interfaces.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Astrobiología, INTA-CSIC, Carretera de Ajalvir km. 4, E-28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain. p.merino@fkf.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física Fundamental, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, E-28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Hernán
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, E28049, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pinardi
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, E28049, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Leonor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chico
authors.affiliation: Centro de Astrobiología, INTA-CSIC, Carretera de Ajalvir km. 4, E-28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain. p.merino@fkf.mpg.de and Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, E28049, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martin-Gago