Electric field response of a vibrationally excited molecule in an STM junction
(Result of the month 02/2009)

We found that a single molecule in a vibrationally excited state on a surface can be delivered precisely to a desired position with the aid of a local electric field in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) junction. An individual CH3S molecule on a Cu(111) surface hops laterally to move away from a negatively charged STM tip and to come toward a positively charged tip when the lateral hopping motion is induced by inelastically tunneled electrons and the molecule is positioned in an inhomogeneous electric field. These experimental findings reveal that a vibrationally excited molecule on a surface responds with high sensitivity to a local electric field in an STM junction.

Sequential STM images showing the gradual construction of the letters and three-dimensional images of the letters S, T, and M with CH3S molecules on Cu(111). Scan area for each image is 6x6 nm². Sample bias voltage and tunneling current are 20 mV and 0.5 nA, respectively.

Individual CH₃S molecules on a Cu(111) surface were precisely delivered to desired positions by use of an STM. An STM tip was placed at off-center of a CH₃S molecule. When the bias voltage exceeds 85 mV, the CH₃S molecule is excited to a vibrationally excited state of C-S stretching mode. The electric dipole of a vibratinonally excited molecule interacts with the electric field from the STM leading to repulsive or attractive motion of the molecule depending on the polarity of the tip voltage. This was also confirmed by use of CO molecule on a Pd(110) surface.

Authors:

Michiaki Ohara¹, Yousoo Kim^1,2, Maki Kawai^1,2

¹RIKEN, Wako, Japan

²University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan

Corresponding Author:

Yousoo Kim¹, ykim@riken.jp

Institutes Webpages:

¹ www.riken.jp

² www.surfchem.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Publications:

PHYSICAL REVIEW B 78, 201405(R) (2008)
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 100, 136104 (2008)

This result has been obtained with :
LT STM

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