Electric-field-controlled reversible order-disorder switching of a metal tip surface

De Knoop, Ludvig,1972Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology (författare)

While it is well established that elevated temperatures can induce surface roughening of metal surfaces, the effect of a high electric field on the atomic structure at ambient temperature has not been investigated in detail. Here we show with atomic resolution using in situ transmission electron microscopy how intense electric fields induce reversible switching between perfect crystalline and disordered phases of gold surfaces at room temperature. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the mechanism behind the structural change can be attributed to a vanishing energy cost in forming surface defects in high electric fields. Our results demonstrate how surface processes can be directly controlled at the atomic scale by an externally applied electric field, which promotes an effective decoupling of the topmost surface layers from the underlying bulk. This opens up opportunities for development of active nanodevices in, e.g., nanophotonics and field-effect transistor technology as well as fundamental research in materials characterization and of yet unexplored dynamically controlled low-dimensional phases of matter.

Kuisma, Mikael Juhani,1984Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology,Jyväskylän Yliopisto,University of Jyväskylä(Swepub:cth)juhanim (författare)
Löfgren, Joakim,1989Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology(Swepub:cth)joalof (författare)
Lodewijks, Kristof,1984Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology(Swepub:cth)krilod (författare)
Thuvander, Mattias,1968Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology(Swepub:cth)matthu (författare)
Erhart, Paul,1978Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology(Swepub:cth)erhart (författare)
Dmitriev, Alexandre,1975Gothenburg University,Göteborgs universitet,Institutionen för fysik (GU),Department of Physics (GU),University of Gothenburg,Stanford University(Swepub:cth)alexd (författare)
Olsson, Eva,1960Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology(Swepub:cth)f10eva (författare)
Chalmers tekniska högskolaJyväskylän Yliopisto (creator_code:org_t)

Av författaren/redakt...: De Knoop, Ludvig ...; Kuisma, Mikael J ...; Löfgren, Joakim, ...; Lodewijks, Krist ...; Thuvander, Matti ...; Erhart, Paul, 19 ...; visa fler...; Dmitriev, Alexan ...; Olsson, Eva, 196 ...; visa färre...

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