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Fe Adatoms on Bi2Se3 and TlBiSe2: Adsorption Geometry and Influence on the Local Density of States
Weindl, Adrian
, Setescak, Christoph Stephen
and Giessibl, Franz J.
(2026)
Fe Adatoms on Bi2Se3 and TlBiSe2: Adsorption Geometry and Influence on the Local Density of States.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.
Date of publication of this fulltext: 11 Jun 2026 09:42
Article
DOI to cite this document: 10.5283/epub.79590
Abstract
We present a combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Kelvin probe force spectroscopy (KPFS) study of Fe adatoms on topological insulators (TIs) Bi2Se3 and TlBiSe2. Utilizing both metallic and CO-functionalized tips at 4.4 K under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, we measure the local density of states (LDOS), adsorption geometry, and charge state of individual ...
We present a combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Kelvin probe force spectroscopy (KPFS) study of Fe adatoms on topological insulators (TIs) Bi2Se3 and TlBiSe2. Utilizing both metallic and CO-functionalized tips at 4.4 K under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, we measure the local density of states (LDOS), adsorption geometry, and charge state of individual Fe adatoms. While Fe atoms on Bi2Se3 induce strong resonances in the LDOS without opening a spectral gap, consistent with previous reports, Fe on TlBiSe2 exhibits a pronounced local suppression of the LDOS at the energy of the Dirac point, indicative of a gap opening. Using high-resolution AFM imaging and probe particle model (PPM) simulations, we determine the adsorption geometries of Fe on both materials with picometer precision. Our KPFS and tunneling spectroscopy measurements confirm that Fe acts as a positively charged electron donor on Bi2Se3. In contrast, we suggest that Fe on TlBiSe2 is close to electrically neutral. Our findings highlight the critical role of the adsorption environment in determining the impact of adatoms on TI surfaces and suggest that a local gap opening can be studied on TlBiSe2.
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| Item type | Article | ||||
| Journal or Publication Title | The Journal of Physical Chemistry C | ||||
| Publisher: | American Chemical Society (ACS) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Access Type: | ACS Hybrid | ||||
| Date | 4 June 2026 | ||||
| Institutions | Physics > Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics > Chair Professor Giessibl > Group Franz J. Giessibl | ||||
| Projects |
Funded by:
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
(314695032)
| ||||
| Identification Number |
| ||||
| Keywords | Adsorption, Impurities, Layers, Scanning tunneling microscopy, Topological insulator | ||||
| Dewey Decimal Classification | 500 Science > 530 Physics | ||||
| Status | Published | ||||
| Refereed | Yes, this version has been refereed | ||||
| Created at the University of Regensburg | Yes | ||||
| URN of the UB Regensburg | urn:nbn:de:bvb:355-epub-795906 | ||||
| Item ID | 79590 |
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