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Surf. Sci. 422 (1999) pp. 95-106

Tunnelling spectroscopy of surface state scattering and confinement

Jiutao Li and Wolf-Dieter Schneider

Institut de Physique Experimentale, Universite de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

S. Crampin

Department of Physics, University of Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom

Richard Berndt

2. Physikalisches Institut, RWTH Aachen, D-52056 Aachen, Germany

Abstract
Using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy we have investigated confinement of electronic surface states to hexagonal islands and other nanoscale structures on Ag(111). Local spectroscopy and spatial maps of the differential conductance are analysed using simple models of the electronic structure. We find that the concept of confinement of a two-dimensional surface state applies down to very small structures, and observe in real space how proximity to defects affects surface state lifetimes.