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Origin of the Au/Ge(001) metallic state

Nature Physics volume 8, pages 697–698 (2012)Cite this article

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The physical realization of two-dimensional electron systems, such as semiconductor heterostructures, graphene and topological insulators, has revealed a cornucopia of new and exciting physics. It has been predicted that one-dimensional electron systems will also open up a new realm of physical phenomena, driven by the appearance of spin and charge collective modes and non-Fermi-liquid behaviour1. The exploration of this new field has barely begun, its promises have not yet materialized, and the extent of its potential for new physics and devices remains largely untapped. However, a great leap forward has been made recently by Blumenstein and colleagues2. In their article they demonstrate that the density of states of Au-induced nanowires on Ge(001) is strongly suppressed near the Fermi level. The universal power-law scaling behaviour that they observed, in a temperature range from 4.7 K up to 102 K, is a clear hallmark of a Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid. However, in a subsequent correspondence, serious doubts were cast on the matter of the dispersion direction and dimensionality of the metallic state by Nakatsuji and Komori3,4. On the basis of their angle-resolved photoemission studies, the group from Tokyo arrived at the conclusion that the metallic state is two-dimensional, anisotropic and disperses strongly in a direction perpendicular to the Au-induced nanowires5,6. In contrast, the group from Würzburg performed angle-resolved photoemission and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) experiments, and concluded that the metallic state is strictly one-dimensional and originates from the Au-induced nanowires2,7,8.

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Figure 1: Scanning tunnelling microscope image (7 nm × 8 nm) recorded at 77 K.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie (FOM, 10ODE01) and the Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO, 040.11.310) for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics of Interfaces and Nanomaterials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, AE Enschede, 7500, The Netherlands

    R. Heimbuch, M. Kuzmin & H. J. W. Zandvliet

  2. loffe Physical-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Polytechnicheskaya 26, St. Petersburg, 194021, Russian Federation

    M. Kuzmin

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  1. R. Heimbuch
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Correspondence to R. Heimbuch.

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Heimbuch, R., Kuzmin, M. & Zandvliet, H. Origin of the Au/Ge(001) metallic state. Nature Phys 8, 697–698 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2414

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