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arXiv · 2101.09091

The ambivalent competition of Coulomb and van-der-Waals interactions in Xe-Cs+ aggregates on Cu(111) surfaces

Abstract

Microscopic insight into interactions is a key for understanding the properties of heterogenous interfaces. We analyze local attraction in non-covalently bonded Xe{Cs+ aggregates and monolayers on Cu(111) as well as repulsion upon electron transfer. Using two-photon photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and coupled cluster calculations combined with an image-charge model we explain the intricate impact Xe has on Cs+/Cu(111). We find that attraction between Cs+ and Xe counterbalances the screened Coulomb repulsion between Cs+ ions on Cu(111). Furthermore, we observe that the Cs 6s electron is repelled from Cu(111) due to xenon's electron density. Together, this yields a dual, i.e., attractive or repulsive, response of Xe depending on the positive or negative charge of the respective counterparticle, which emphasizes the importance of the Coulomb interaction in these systems.

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J. Thomas, C. Bertram, J. Daru, J. Patwari, I. Langguth, P. Zhou, D. Marx, K. Morgenstern, U. Bovensiepen. 2021-07-13. The ambivalent competition of Coulomb and van-der-Waals interactions in Xe-Cs+ aggregates on Cu(111) surfaces. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.127.266802

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