Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Acta Materialia
Publication Date
Page Number
116508
Volume
203
Issue
None
Abstract
Structure, bonding, and chemical dynamics of reactions at surfaces and interfaces, and therefore most material properties are intrinsically tied to the energetic landscape in which each atom resides. Here, we demonstrate that a moving atom under electron beam excitation can be used to probe the energy landscape along (confined) step edges, providing information about atomic-scale potentials. The techniques for experimentally exploring atomic potentials holds promise for predictive atom-by-atom fabrication using electron beams.
