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The properties of atomically thin materials essentially depend on their structures, including impurities, defects and interfaces with underlying substrates. Thus, the detailed structural information is relevant for creation of 2D materials with desired properties. Here, we explore the capabilities of photoelectron diffraction and holography for structural analysis of atomically thin layers using as examples such systems as h-BN, graphene, and modified graphene with boron impurities. We show that for planar 2D crystals with commensurate interface to the substrate, it is possible to visualize the interface and impurities with high spatial resolution, and to distinguish possible non-equivalent structural units. Our approach applied to B-doped graphene on Ni(1 1 1) and Co(0 0 0 1) surfaces has allowed to reveal asymmetry of boron concentrations in the two carbon sublattices and established its dependence on the applied synthesis procedure and chosen substrate. The obtained results suggest that such approach can be widely applied for studies of various 2D systems, where the structures of interfaces and defects are of remarkable importance.

Photoemission (PE) and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy were applied to characterize electronic properties of the regular two-dimensional bacterial surface protein layer (S layer) of Bacillus sphaericus NCTC 9602, which is widely used as a protein template for the bottom-up fabrication of advanced metallic and hybrid nanostructures. PE and NEXAFS at the C 1s, O 1s, and N 1s core levels show similar chemical states for each oxygen atom and also for each nitrogen atom, while carbon atoms exhibit a range of chemical environments in different functional groups of the amino acids. A series of characteristic NEXAFS peaks were assigned to particular molecular orbitals of the amino acids by applying a phenomenological building-block model. It was found that the π clouds of aromatic rings make the main contribution to both the lowest unoccupied and highest occupied molecular orbitals. The two-dimensional protein crystal shows a semiconductor-like behaviour with a gap value of ~3.0 eV and the Fermi energy close to the bottom of the LUMO.

Impedance spectroscopy and 7Li NMR have been applied to characterize the lithium conducting glass-ceramics membranes of the Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 composition with the NASICON-type structure. The 7Li NMR spectra and T1 relaxation times have been compared for the precursor glass and two glass-ceramics annealed for 2 and 6 hours, and analysed with respect to the ionic conductivity in these materials. The 7Li static NMR spectra reveal two components in the glass-ceramics samples: A quadrupole pattern with CQ of 38.7 kHz and 32.5 kHz, and a narrow signal of the Lorentzian or Gaussian lineshape for the samples annealed for 2 and 6 hours, respectively. Variation of the lineshape and the deconvolution parameters point out to the modification of the NASICON framework in the former, which affects the conductivity channels towards improved movement of lithium ions. The NMR data correlate with the conductivity measurements demonstrating enhanced ionic mobility in the glass-ceramics annealed for 2 hours. The 7Li NMR relaxation data seem to be very sensitive to the species with different mobility and reveal the presence of an additional minor component, which can be responsible for decrease of conductivity at longer thermal treatment.

Two-dimensional superconductivity in alkali- and alkaline-Earth-metal doped monolayer graphene has been explained in the framework of electron–phonon coupling (EPC) and experiments yielded superconducting transition temperatures (T C ) up to 6 K. In contrast to bulk graphite intercalation compounds, the interface of doped graphene with its environment affects its physical properties. Here we present a novel and well-defined BaC8 interface structure in Ba-doped single-layer graphene on Au and Ge substrates. We use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in combination with ab initio modelling to extract the Eliashberg function and EPC for both substrates. This allows us to quantitatively assess the environmental effects for both Au and Ge substrates on superconductivity in graphene. We show that for semiconducting Ge substrates, the doping level and EPC are higher. Our study highlights that both dopant order and the metallicity of the substrate can be used to control EPC and hence superconductivity.

A composite material based on MWCNT covered by pyrolytic Cr has been prepared by MOCVD growth technique using bis(arene)chromium compounds as the pyrolytic Cr source. Their structures and morphologies were preliminary studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning and scanning electron microscopy. The atomic and chemical composition of the interface, MWCNT surface and Cr-coating of the composite were studied by total electron yield mode in the range NEXAFS C1s - and Cr2p - absorption edge with use of synchrotron radiation of RGBL at BESSY-II. The study has shown that top layers of the MWCNT in composite have no essential destruction, the coating of the MWCNT surfaces is continuous and consists of Cr2O3. The chromium oxide adhesion is provided by chemical binding between the carbon atoms of the MWCNT top layer and the oxygen atoms of the coating.

High-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation and magnetic linear dichroism in Mn 3p core-level photoemission has been used to study the effect of carbondoping on the initial stages of Mn/Si interface formation and its ferromagnetic ordering. It is shown that the manganese deposition on Si(100)2x1 surface with and without carbon doping results in the formation of the interfacial MnSi silicide and the solid solution of silicon in manganese. The Mn film covered with segregated Si begins to grow on the samples surface at coverage of 9 A of Mn. It is shown that in-plane ferromagnetic ordering of the interfaces arises after of 2-4 A Mn in both systems, however, the remanent magnetization of Mn-C/Si is higher than that of Mn/Si.

Adsorption of ∼0.1 ML of Na onto the Si(111)√3 × √3-Au surface held at 300 °C has been found to induce pronounced changes in its structural and electronic properties. Domain wall networks, characteristic of the pristine surface, are removed completely, leading to the formation of a highly ordered homogeneous surface. The original atomic arrangement of the Si(111)√3 × √3-Au is preserved and Na atoms occupy T4 adsorption sites at the centers of surface Si trimers. Upon Na adsorption, a pronounced metallic S1 surface-state band develops. It is characterized by a large spin splitting (momentum splitting at the Fermi level Δk∥ = 0.027 A(-1) and consequent energy splitting ΔEF = 110 meV), large electron filling (on the order of 0.5 electrons per √3 × √3 unit cell) and small effective electron mass of (0.028 ± 0.006)me. The natural consequence of the latter properties is a high surface conductivity of the Si(111)√3 × √3-(Au, Na) surface.

The in situ chlorination of graphene on Ir(111) has been achieved by depositing FeCl(3) followed by its thermal decomposition on the surface into FeCl(2) and Cl. This process is accompanied by an intercalation of Cl under graphene and formation of an epitaxial FeCl(2) film on top, which can be removed upon further annealing. A pronounced hole doping of graphene has been observed as a consequence of the annealing-assisted intercalation of Cl. This effect has been studied by a combination of core-level and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopies (CL PES and ARPES, respectively), near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). The ease of preparation, the remarkable reproducibility of the doping level and the reversibility of the doping upon annealing are the key factors making chlorination with FeCl(3) a promising route for tuning the electronic properties in graphene.

We present an approach to monitor the parity of wave functions of electronic states of bulk solids, which was elaborated on the model Ag/W(110) system. The dispersion of quantum-well (QW) states formed in the thin Ag layer was examined by means of angle-resolved photoemission. The obtained experimental data were compared with results of layer Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker calculations. We found that around k points, where the two-dimensional QW bands cross the projected bulk bands of the W substrate of the same symmetry, broad hybridization gaps in the QW distributions are observed. Careful analysis based on a symmetry approach for the electronic bands in the Ag monolayer and the W substrate suggests that respective gaps may generally be taken as a fingerprint for the interaction with substrate states of even parity with respect to the emission plane. We anticipate that QW states may be used as a probe for symmetry properties of strongly correlated states in systems like heavy-fermion compounds that are difficult to access theoretically within an ab initio approach., This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 463, TP B4 and TP B16.

High resolution angle-resolved photoemission of quasi-2D KMo6O17 purple bronze has been performed in the range from room temperature to 130 K, slightly above the charge density wave (CDW) transition (Tc = 110 K), and down to 35 K (well below Tc). In this paper we report a detailed study of how electronic band structure is affected by this transition driven by the hidden nesting scenario. The expected spectroscopic fingerprints of the CDW phase transition have been found and discussed according to the hidden one dimension and the development of a quasi-commensurate CDW. The excellent agreement between theory and our experimental results makes of potassium purple bronze a reference system for studying this type of instabilities.

In the present contribution we report on the results of the angle-resolved photoemission (PE) studies of thin layers of Yb (1–3 ML-thick) on W(110) surface. The clear splitting of the Yb 4f7/2 state was observed in the PE spectra measured around point for 1 ML-thick Yb film. The measured PE spectra were analyzed by means of the simplified periodic Anderson model.

Here we present applications of the periodic Anderson model (PAM) to consideration of wave vector (k)- and spin-dependent hybridization effects in Ce metal. It was shown that k-dependent splitting of the 4f ionization peak of Ce/W(1 10) are correctly described in the framework of the PAM (Coulomb repulsion between two f electrons localized on the same lattice site Uff??). Our results show that the wave vector is conserved upon hybridization. In case of the magnetically ordered Ce monolayer, spin- and angle-resolved resonant photoemission spectra reveal spin-dependent changes of the Fermi-level peak intensities (which reflect the hybridization strength). That indicate a spin-dependence of 4f hybridization and, thus, of 4f occupancy and local moment. The phenomenon was also described in the framework of PAM by 4f electron hopping into the exchange split Fe 3d derived bands that form a spin-gap at the Fermi energy around the T point of the surface Brillouin zone.

The near-edge fine structure of the F 1s absorption spectra of 3d metal fluorides was studied for the first time with high energy resolution. The spectra of these, the most ionic compounds of the 3d atoms, are analyzed comparing with the F 1s absorption spectrum of the molecular TiF62− anion in solid K2TiF6. The latter spectrum was afore interpreted considering the fluorine spectra of the molecular PF6− anion in a KPF6 crystal and of the gas-phase SF6 molecule. The low-energy empty electron states in the 3d metal fluorides are shown to be formed due to covalent mixing of the metal 3d and fluorine 2p electron states.