Mechanisms for carbon adsorption on Au(110)-(2 × 1): A work function analysis.

Highlights • This is a joint theory/experiment on atomistic probe of ion trap electrode surface dynamics. • This work lays out measurements and complimentary calculations of the work function variation with adatom contaminant on trap surfaces. • As experiment can deterministically deposit carbon adatoms on gold surfaces, the adsorption dynamics is described with mobile fluctuating dipoles on reconstructed gold surface. Abstract The variation of the work function upon carbon adsorption on the reconstructed Au(110) surface is measured experimentally and compared to density functional calculations. The adsorption dynamics is simulated with ab-initio molecular dynamics techniques. The contribution of various energetically available adsorption sites on the deposition process is analyzed, and the work function behavior with carbon coverage is explained by the resultant electron charge density distributions. Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]