Li adsorption versus graphene intercalation on Ir (lll): From quenching to restoration of the Ir surface state.

It is common knowledge that even a trace amount of a chemisorbed species can strongly perturb the surface electronic structure, in particular the surface states, to the point of their complete eradication. We have confirmed this behavior by adsorbing Li on the Ir(111), but surprisingly, we have discovered that in the presence of graphene Li does not suppress the Ir surface state. By combining the results of the low-energy electron diffraction and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with the density functional theory for modeling of the studied systems we can provide a detailed explanation for the observed phenomena. The quenching of the surface state by the electronic states of disordered Li layer on a bare Ir surface is efficiently deactivated by the presence of graphene which shifts the Li states to lower energies thereby leading to the unexpected reappearance of the surface state. Such protection of the surface state coherence from disorder upon intercalation could be used as a benchmark in the toolbox of surface science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]