Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of quantum coherence phenomena due to atom-by-atom nanostructure assembly on semiconductor surfaces

联合项目将通过结合双方研究伙伴的专业知识而成为可能。日本方面（NTT基础研究实验室（NTT））在InAs和gaas基III-V化合物半导体材料的分子束外延（MBE）及其低温扫描隧道光谱（STS）表征领域具有出色的专业知识。NTT运营着世界上为数不多的将MBE与原位低温扫描隧道显微镜（LT-STM）能力相结合的设施之一。德国方面（保罗德鲁德研究所（PDI））在原子操纵领域拥有杰出的专业知识，通过LT-STM和STS表征每次组装一个原子的单个金属对金属纳米结构。目标是通过使用单个原子作为构建块，推动半导体表面上单个纳米结构的原子对原子组装的前沿。原子操纵对半导体的定向适用性-结合LT-STM的光谱能力-将代表着理解和控制半导体纳米结构中电子行为的重大进展。这种理解对于未来基于半导体平台上量子结构的器件功能至关重要。在一项联合实验中，我们最近成功地在InAs衬底上进行了可逆的原子操纵和多用途纳米结构组装，使我们能够以原子对原子的方式创建和修改纳米结构限制的电子状态。据我们所知，这一成就是半导体材料领域的全球创新，将标志着该项目的起点。到目前为止，还没有报道成功地利用原子组装纳米结构在表面上表征和控制半导体量子相干现象。这些事实表明，我们的联合项目将为纳米科学技术做出开创性的贡献。

The joint project will be made possible by combining the expertise of both research partners. The Japanese side (NTT Basic Research Laboratories (NTT)) has excellent expertise in the field of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of InAs and GaAs-based III-V compound semiconductor materials and their characterization by low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). NTT operates one of the few facilities worldwide which combine MBE with in situ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (LT-STM) capabilities. The German side (Paul Drude Institute (PDI)) has outstanding expertise in the field of atom manipulation by LT-STM and STS characterization of individual metal-on-metal nanostructures assembled one atom at a time.The goal is to push the frontiers forward to the atom-by-atom assembly of individual nanostructures on semiconductor surfaces by using single adatoms as building blocks. The targeted applicability of atom manipulation to semiconductors – in combination with the spectroscopic capabilities of LT-STM – will represent a major advance in the attempt to understand and control electron behavior in semiconductor nanostructures. This understanding is of crucial importance for future device functionality based on quantum structures on semiconductor platform. In a joint experiment, we recently succeeded in reversible atom manipulation and versatile nanostructure assembly on InAs substrates, allowing us to create and to modify nanostructure-confined electronic states in an atom-by-atom fashion. This achievement is – to our knowledge – a worldwide novelty in the field of semiconductor materials and will mark the starting point of the project. Up to now, there is no reported success in the characterization and control of semiconductor-based quantum coherence phenomena utilizing atom-by-atom-assembled nanostructures at surfaces. These facts indicate that our joint project will yield a pioneering contribution to nanometer-scale science and technology.