Imaging the Acceptor Wave Function Anisotropy in Silicon

Manuel Siegl; Julian Zanon; Joseph Sink; Adonai Rodrigues da Cruz; Holly Hedgeland; Neil J. Curson; Michael E. Flatté; Steven R. Schofield

arXiv · 2505.13041

Imaging the Acceptor Wave Function Anisotropy in Silicon

Manuel Siegl·Julian Zanon·Joseph Sink·Adonai Rodrigues da Cruz·Holly Hedgeland·Neil J. Curson·Michael E. Flatté·Steven R. Schofield

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Abstract

We present the first scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of hydrogenic acceptor wave functions in silicon. These acceptor states appear as square ring-like features in STM images and originate from near-surface defects introduced by high-energy bismuth implantation into a silicon (001) wafer. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy confirms the formation of a p-type surface. Effective-mass and tight-binding calculations provide an excellent description of the observed square ring-like features, confirming their acceptor character and attributing their symmetry to the light- and heavy-hole band degeneracy in silicon. Detailed understanding of the energetic and spatial properties of acceptor wave functions in silicon is essential for engineering large-scale acceptor-based quantum devices.

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Manuel Siegl, Julian Zanon, Joseph Sink, Adonai Rodrigues da Cruz, Holly Hedgeland, Neil J. Curson, Michael E. Flatté, Steven R. Schofield. 2025-05-19. Imaging the Acceptor Wave Function Anisotropy in Silicon. https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13041

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