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Weiss, Marco ; Stilp, Fabian ; Reinhart, Max ; Giessibl, Franz J.

Measurement and qualitative explanation of decay lengths of attractive and repulsive forces between natural and artificial atoms

Article

Weiss, Marco , Stilp, Fabian , Reinhart, Max and Giessibl, Franz J. (2025) Measurement and qualitative explanation of decay lengths of attractive and repulsive forces between natural and artificial atoms. Physical Review B 112, p. 205413.

DOI to cite this document: 10.5283/epub.78708


Abstract

Artificial atoms, such as quantum corrals, offer an excellent platform to study fundamental interactions between localized quantum states and nanoscale probes. We performed atomic force microscopy measurements inside square quantum corrals on Cu(111) using CO- and metal-terminated tips. Using chemically unreactive CO-terminated tips, repulsive Pauli forces can be probed, while metallic tips are ...

Artificial atoms, such as quantum corrals, offer an excellent platform to study fundamental interactions between localized quantum states and nanoscale probes. We performed atomic force microscopy measurements inside square quantum corrals on Cu(111) using CO- and metal-terminated tips. Using chemically unreactive CO-terminated tips, repulsive Pauli forces can be probed, while metallic tips are attracted to the localized quantum states due to chemical bonding. We found distinct exponential decay constants of (46±6) pm for the repulsive and (66±5) pm for the attractive forces. Attractive and repulsive interactions between two natural atoms show significantly shorter decay lengths. While natural atoms feature states with a broad range of decay lengths, including very short ones from deeply bound states, quantum corrals are lacking such deeply bound and highly localized states, resulting in longer decay lengths. These results offer an alternate route to understanding and designing atomic-scale interactions in low-dimensional quantum structures and devices.



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Item typeArticle
Journal or Publication TitlePhysical Review B
PublisherAmerican Physical Society (APS)
Open Access TypeOther
Volume112
Page Rangep. 205413
Date13 November 2025
Date of publication24 Feb 2026 06:44
InstitutionsPhysics > Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics > Chair Professor Giessibl > Group Franz J. Giessibl
Projects
Funded by: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (314695032)
Identification Number
ValueType
10.1103/2bsk-8cvxDOI
KeywordsChemical bonding, Electronic structure, Interactions & forces, Interatomic & molecular potentials, Surface states, Atomic force microscopy, Noncontact atomic force microscopy
Dewey Decimal Classification500 Science > 530 Physics
StatusPublished
RefereedYes, this version has been refereed
Created at the University of RegensburgYes
URN of the UB Regensburgurn:nbn:de:bvb:355-epub-787082
Item ID78708

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