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Symmetric Versus Nonsymmetric Structure of the Phosphorus Vacancy on InP(110)

Ph. Ebert·K. Urban·L. Aballe·C. H. Chen·K. Horn·G. Schwarz·J. Neugebauer·M. Scheffler
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Abstract

The atomic and electronic structure of positively charged P vacancies on InP(110) surfaces is determined by combining scanning tunneling microscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, and density-functional theory calculations. The vacancy exhibits a nonsymmetric rebonded atomic configuration with a charge transfer level 0.75+-0.1 eV above the valence band maximum. The scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images show only a time average of two degenerate geometries, due to a thermal flip motion between the mirror configurations. This leads to an apparently symmetric STM image, although the ground state atomic structure is nonsymmetric.

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Ph. Ebert, K. Urban, L. Aballe, C. H. Chen, K. Horn, G. Schwarz, J. Neugebauer, M. Scheffler. 2000-06-08. Symmetric Versus Nonsymmetric Structure of the Phosphorus Vacancy on InP(110). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.84.5816

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