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We employ a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) cooled to millikelvin temperatures by an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) to perform scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) on an atomically clean surface of Al(100) in a superconducting state using normal-metal and superconducting STM tips. Varying the ADR temperatures between 30 mK and 1.2 K, we show that the temperature of the STM junction $T$ is decoupled from the temperature of the surrounding environment $T_{\mathrm{env}}$. Simulating the STS data with the $P(E)$ theory, we determine that $T_{\mathrm{env}} \approx 1.5$ K, while the fitting of the superconducting gap spectrum yields the lowest $T=77$ mK., Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures

Scanning probe microscopy makes it possible to image and spectroscopically characterize nanoscale objects, and to manipulate1-3 and excite4-8 them; even time-resolved experiments are now routinely achieved9,10. This combination of capabilities has enabled proof-of-principle demonstrations of nanoscale devices, including logic operations based on molecular cascades 11 , a single-atom transistor 12 , a single-atom magnetic memory cell 13 and a kilobyte atomic memory 14 . However, a key challenge is fabricating device structures that can overcome their attraction to the underlying surface and thus protrude from the two-dimensional flatlands of the surface. Here we demonstrate the fabrication of such a structure: we use the tip of a scanning probe microscope to lift a large planar aromatic molecule (3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic-dianhydride) into an upright, standing geometry on a pedestal of two metal (silver) adatoms. This atypical and surprisingly stable upright orientation of the single molecule, which under all known circumstances adsorbs flat on metals15,16, enables the system to function as a coherent single-electron field emitter. We anticipate that other metastable adsorbate configurations might also be accessible, thereby opening up the third dimension for the design of functional nanostructures on surfaces.

We present an extension of the tunneling theory for scanning tunneling microcopy (STM) to include different types of vibrational-electronic couplings responsible for inelastic contributions to the tunnel current in the strong-coupling limit. It allows for a better understanding of more complex scanning tunneling spectra of molecules on a metallic substrate in separating elastic and inelastic contributions. The starting point is the exact solution of the spectral functions for the electronic active local orbitals in the absence of the STM tip. This includes electron-phonon coupling in the coupled system comprising the molecule and the substrate to arbitrary order including the anti-adiabatic strong coupling regime as well as the Kondo effect on a free electron spin of the molecule. The tunneling current is derived in second order of the tunneling matrix element which is expanded in powers of the relevant vibrational displacements. We use the results of an ab-initio calculation for the single-particle electronic properties as an adapted material-specific input for a numerical renormalization group approach for accurately determining the electronic properties of a NTCDA molecule on Ag(111) as a challenging sample system for our theory. Our analysis shows that the mismatch between the ab-initio many-body calculation of the tunnel current in the absence of any electron-phonon coupling to the experiment scanning tunneling spectra can be resolved by including two mechanisms: (i) a strong unconventional Holstein term on the local substrate orbital leads to reduction of the Kondo temperature and (ii) a different electron-vibrational coupling to the tunneling matrix element is responsible for inelastic steps in the $dI/dV$ curve at finite frequencies., 34 pages, 26 figure

We employ density functional theory (DFT) to analyze the dispersion of the electronic state that exists at the commensurate interface between a monolayer of 1,4,5,8-naphthalene-tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (NTCDA) and the Ag(111) surface. First, we present and verify a hydrogen-termination approach which allows a meaningful DFT description of the interface state with relatively thin silver slabs. Complemented with a projection technique which maps the interface electronic structure onto the original Ag(111) Shockley state, the DFT calculations enable us to analyze the evolution of the dispersion of the NTCDA/Ag(111) interface state when changing of the molecular coverage. Our calculations yield a difference between the interface state energy and the Shockley state energy that scales linearly with coverage. Furthermore, they predict a pronounced anisotropy of the dispersion of the interface state at long wavelengths which also depends linearly on the molecular coverage. The dispersion anisotropy is fully confirmed by our Fourier transform (FT) scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) experiments performed on a relaxed phase NTCDA/Ag(111) monolayer. Using feature detection STS (FD-STS), we moreover measure a band gap in the interface state band structure at the Brillouin zone boundary which indicates Bragg scattering of the interface state electrons in the periodic potential of the molecular layer. We thus observe an influence of the molecular layer on the interface state both at long (DFT, STS) and short wavelengths (STS).

A thus far unknown phase of 1,4,5,8-naphthalene-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA) on Ag(111), characterized by an all perpendicular orientation of the planar molecules and bound to the Ag substrate through the carboxyl oxygen atoms has been identified using infrared absorption spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. Its formation process requires second layer NTCDA to squeeze into empty spaces between relaxed monolayer NTCDA molecules. Remarkably, this process causes initially parallel oriented NTCDA to likewise adopt the new, highly inclined adsorption geometry. According to our SPA-LEED and STM findings, the new phase displays a distinct long range order and shows a pronounced tendency to form 1D rows or narrow islands. We suggest that extra NTCDA preferentially transforms into the upright configuration close to existing islands and attaches to them, i.e. the transformation process proceeds in a directed and recurrent manner (reverse domino scenario). Identical processing starting with a compressed NTCDA/Ag(111) monolayer leads to a purely parallel oriented bilayer, that is, the NTCDA monolayer phase is retained and merely acts as a passive template for bilayer NTCDA. The new vertical NTCDA phase represents an unusual molecular system with π–orbitals oriented parallel to a metal surface. A substantially reduced coupling of these orbitals to Ag(111) electronic levels is conjectured, which will have a major impact on intermolecular couplings and electronically excited state lifetimes.

A modified scheme of scanning tunneling spectroscopy data analysis has been used to reconstruct the band structure of a strongly dispersive two-dimensional unoccupied electronic state located at the commensurate interface between a monolayer of 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) and Ag(111) surface up to the fourth band in the reduced Brillouin zone of the molecular monolayer. The two-dimensional scattering potential, evaluated with the help of the measured band structure data, is highly corrugated. This shows that the accepted picture, describing the interface state of PTCDA/Ag(111) as an upshifted Shockley state of Ag(111), is incomplete. Our findings indicate that the hybridization of unoccupied molecular orbitals of PTCDA on one of the two sublattices with the metal states of Ag(111) substantially influences the interface state properties.

Determination of the molecular Kondo temperature $T_K$ poses a challenge in most cases when the experimental temperature cannot be tuned to a sufficient extent. We show how this ambiguity can be resolved if additional control parameters are present, such as magnetic field and mechanical gating. We record the evolution of the differential conductance by lifting an individual molecule from the metal surface with the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope. By fitting the measured conductance spectra with the single impurity Anderson model we are able to demonstrate that the lifting tunes the junction continuously from the strongly correlated Kondo-singlet to the free spin $1/2$ ground state. In the crossover regime, where $T_K$ is similar to the temperature of experiment, the fitting yields ambiguous estimates of $T_K$ varying by an order of magnitude. We show that analysis of the conductance measured in two distinct external magnetic fields can be used to resolve this problem., Comment: Main text: 10 pages, 6 figures; Supplementary Information: 11 pages, 5 figures

We present a physically intuitive model of molecular quantum dots beyond the constant interaction approximation. It accurately describes their charging behavior and allows the extraction of important molecular properties that are otherwise experimentally inaccessible. The model is applied to data recorded with a noncontact atomic force microscope on three different molecules that act as a quantum dot when attached to the microscope tip. The results are in excellent agreement with first-principles simulations.

Considering studies of molecular adsorption we review recent developments in the field of scanning probe microscopy and in particular in scanning tunnelling microscopy, concentrating on the progress that has been achieved by controlled decoration of the microscope tip. A view is presented according to which the tip decoration generally introduces additional degrees of freedom into the scanning junction and thus extends its functionality. In particular tips decorated with atomic point-like particles may attain the additional function of a force sensor which is realized through the degrees of freedom associated with the relative position of the decorating probe-particle with respect to the tip. It is shown how the force sensor function of such tips helps when studying large molecular adsorbates. Further prospects of more complex junctions equipped with numerous internal degrees of freedom are discussed. It is argued that the main problem impeding the utilization of such junctions is related to their control. An approach towards a higher degree of control is presented that is based on the analysis of single molecule manipulation experiments.

Nanotechnology developed from a purely theoretical vision pioneered by Feynman (Eng. Sci. 23(5), 22 (1960), [1]) and popularized, for example, by Drexler (Engines of Creation. Anchor Books (1986), [2]) into a large, scientifically and commercially active field.

Considering organic molecules as the functional building blocks of future nanoscale technology, the question of how to arrange and assemble such building blocks in a bottom-up approach is still open. The scanning probe microscope (SPM) could be a tool of choice; however, SPM-based manipulation was until recently limited to two dimensions (2D). Binding the SPM tip to a molecule at a well-defined position opens an opportunity of controlled manipulation in 3D space. Unfortunately, 3D manipulation is largely incompatible with the typical 2D-paradigm of viewing and generating SPM data on a computer. For intuitive and efficient manipulation we therefore couple a low-temperature non-contact atomic force/scanning tunneling microscope (LT NC-AFM/STM) to a motion capture system and fully immersive virtual reality goggles. This setup permits "hand controlled manipulation" (HCM), in which the SPM tip is moved according to the motion of the experimenter's hand, while the tip trajectories as well as the response of the SPM junction are visualized in 3D. HCM paves the way to the development of complex manipulation protocols, potentially leading to a better fundamental understanding of nanoscale interactions acting between molecules on surfaces. Here we describe the setup and the steps needed to achieve successful hand-controlled molecular manipulation within the virtual reality environment.

Imaging and manipulating objects down to the molecular level plays a crucial role in many disciplines. It allows to unravel molecular phenomena, to form materials with new chemical and physical properties, or to build objects on an atomic scale. Science on the nanoscale is inherently interdisciplinary. It requires knowledge and insight into many fields, spanning from modeling, measuring, imaging, actuation to control. Often feedback control facilitates operation with molecular precision, despite the fact that many physical phenomena at the molecular level are still not well understood, and that stochastic and nonlinear effects are inherently present. This work provides an insight into some of the current control related research activities on a molecular scale. This is done considering examples from different fields: control related to scanning probe microscopy such as atomic force microscopy, controlled self assembly on a molecular scale, control aspects of molecular transport, and the use of control for manipulation of single molecules using macroscopic probe tips. The hope is that control related researchers, who are not experts in these fields, become aware of the opportunities present, which could also drive new theoretical developments.

Controlled manipulation of single molecules is an important step towards the fabrication of single molecule devices and nanoscale molecular machines. Currently, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is the only technique that facilitates direct imaging and manipulations of nanometer-sized molecular compounds on surfaces. The technique of hand-controlled manipulation (HCM) introduced recently in Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1926–1932 simplifies the identification of successful manipulation protocols in situations when the interaction pattern of the manipulated molecule with its environment is not fully known. Here we present a further technical development that substantially improves the effectiveness of HCM. By adding Oculus Rift virtual reality goggles to our HCM set-up we provide the experimentalist with 3D visual feedback that displays the currently executed trajectory and the position of the SPM tip during manipulation in real time, while simultaneously plotting the experimentally measured frequency shift (Δf) of the non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM) tuning fork sensor as well as the magnitude of the electric current (I) flowing between the tip and the surface. The advantages of the set-up are demonstrated by applying it to the model problem of the extraction of an individual PTCDA molecule from its hydrogen-bonded monolayer grown on Ag(111) surface.

By means of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS), we have investigated the adsorption of single Au atoms on a PTCDA monolayer physisorbed on the Au(111) surface. A chemical reaction between the Au atom and the PTCDA molecule leads to the formation of a radical that has an unpaired electron in its highest occupied orbital. This orbital is a $\ensuremath{\pi}$ orbital that extends over the whole Au-PTCDA complex. Because of the large Coulomb repulsion in this orbital, the unpaired electron generates a local moment when the molecule is adsorbed on the Au(111) surface. We demonstrate the formation of the radical and the existence of the local moment after adsorption by observing a zero-bias differential conductance peak that originates from the Kondo effect. By temperature dependent measurements of the zero-bias differential conductance, we determine the Kondo temperature to be ${T}_{\mathrm{K}}=(38\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}8)\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. For the theoretical description of the properties of the Au-PTCDA complex we use a hierarchy of methods, ranging from density functional theory (DFT) including a van der Waals correction to many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) and the numerical renormalization group (NRG) approach. Regarding the high-energy orbital spectrum, we obtain an excellent agreement with experiments by both spin-polarized DFT/MBPT and NRG. Moreover, the NRG provides an accurate description of the low-energy excitation spectrum of the spin degree of freedom, predicting a Kondo temperature very close to the experimental value. This is achieved by a detailed analysis of the universality of various definitions of ${T}_{\mathrm{K}}$ and by taking into account the full energy dependence of the coupling function between the molecule-metal complex and the metallic substrate.

Interactions between atomic and molecular objects are to a large extent defined by the nanoscale electrostatic potentials which these objects produce. We introduce a scanning probe technique that enables three-dimensional imaging of local electrostatic potential fields with sub-nanometer resolution. Registering single electron charging events of a molecular quantum dot attached to the tip of a (qPlus tuning fork) atomic force microscope operated at 5 K, we quantitatively measure the quadrupole field of a single molecule and the dipole field of a single metal adatom, both adsorbed on a clean metal surface. Because of its high sensitivity, the technique can record electrostatic potentials at large distances from their sources, which above all will help to image complex samples with increased surface roughness., Comment: main text: 5 pages, 4 figures, supplementary information file: 4 pages, 2 figures

If the tunnelling junction of a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) is functionalized with a nanoscale particle, such as a hydrogen or carbon monoxide molecule or a xenon atom, this particle effectively acts as a nanoscale force sensor. It senses forces stemming from the sample and transduces them into a measurable conductance signal. With this hybrid STM/AFM method images can be obtained that reveal the geometric structure of the substrate, very similar to state-of-the-art non-contact dynamic AFM. This chapter provides a survey of experimental results, explains the mechanism, and discusses the prospects of this novel scanning probe method.

In this paper we review a recently introduced microscopy technique, scanning quantum dot microscopy (SQDM), which delivers quantitative maps of local electrostatic potential near surfaces in three dimensions. The key to achieving SQDM imaging is the functionalization of a scanning probe microscope tip with a π-conjugated molecule that acts as a gateable QD. Mapping of electrostatic potential with SQDM is performed by gating the QD by the bias voltage applied to the scanning probe microscope junction and registering changes of the QD charge state with frequency-modulated atomic force microscopy.