Local Density of States and Interface Effects in Semimetallic ErAs Nanoparticles Embedded in GaAs

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Local Density of States and Interface Effects in Semimetallic ErAs Nanoparticles Embedded in GaAs

Jason K. Kawasaki, Rainer Timm, Kris T. Delaney, Edvin Lundgren, Anders Mikkelsen, and Chris J. Palmstrøm

Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 036806 – Published 14 July 2011

Abstract

The atomic and electronic structures of ErAs nanoparticles embedded within a GaAs matrix are examined via cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (XSTM/XSTS). The local density of states (LDOS) exhibits a finite minimum at the Fermi level demonstrating that the nanoparticles remain semimetallic despite the predictions of previous models of quantum confinement in ErAs. We also use XSTS to measure changes in the LDOS across the $ErAs / GaAs$ interface and propose that the interface atomic structure results in electronic states that prevent the opening of a band gap.

Received 19 May 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.036806

Authors & Affiliations

Jason K. Kawasaki¹, Rainer Timm², Kris T. Delaney³, Edvin Lundgren², Anders Mikkelsen², and Chris J. Palmstrøm^1,4

¹Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
²Nanometer Structure Consortium (nmC@LU), Department of Physics, Lund University, Sweden
³Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
⁴Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA