A yet unknown surface reconstruction of ${\text{V}}_3\text{Si}\left(001\right)$, which is most likely induced by carbon, is used to investigate the quasiparticle energy gap at the atomic scale by a cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope. The width of the gap was virtually not altered at and close to carbon impurities nor did it change at different sites of the reconstructed surface lattice. A remarkable modification of the spectroscopic signature of the gap was induced, however, upon moving the tip of the microscope into controlled contact with the superconductor. Spectroscopy of the resulting normal-metal-superconductor junction indicated the presence of Andreev reflections.

• Received 22 December 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.79.144522