Dichotomous Array of Chiral Quantum Corrals by a Self-Assembled Nanoporous Kagomé Network

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 9; no. 10; pp. 3509 - 3514
• Main Authors: Klappenberger, Florian, Kühne, Dirk, Krenner, Wolfgang, Silanes, Iñaki, Arnau, Andres, García de Abajo, F. Javier, Klyatskaya, Svetlana, Ruben, Mario, Barth, Johannes V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 14.10.2009
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic structure of nanoscale materials : clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanocrystals; Exact sciences and technology; Low-dimensional structures (superlattices, quantum well structures, multilayers): structure, and nonelectronic properties; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanoscale materials: clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanocrystals; Physics; Self-assembly; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Confinement; Symmetry property; Tunnel effect; Surface electron state; Theoretical study; Nanostructures; Topology; Density distribution; Surface structure; Silver; Scanning tunneling microscopy; Self-assembly; Pore size; Electronic structure; Resonant states; Molecular assembly; Supramolecular structure; Superlattices; Microstructure; Arrays; Nanoporosity
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl901700b

The confinement of surface-state electrons by a complex supramolecular network is studied with low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and rationalized by electronic structure calculations using a boundary element method. We focus on the self-assembly of dicarbonitrile-sexiphenyl molecules on Ag(111) creating an open kagomé topology tessellating the surface into pores with different size and symmetry. This superlattice imposes a distinct surface electronic structure modulation, as observed by tunneling spectroscopy and thus acts as a dichotomous array of quantum corrals. The inhomogenous lateral electronic density distribution in the chiral cavities is reproduced by an effective pseudopotential model. Our results demonstrate the engineering of ensembles of elaborate quantum resonance states by molecular self-assembly at surfaces.