Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Alkali Metal Atoms and Dimers on Ultrathin MgO
Štěpán Kovařík, Roberto Robles, Richard Schlitz, Tom S. Seifert, Nicolás Lorente, Pietro Gambardella, Sebastian Stepanow
Abstract
Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) can provide unique insight into the chemical structure and magnetic properties of dopants in oxide and semiconducting materials that are of interest for applications in electronics, catalysis, and quantum sensing. Here, we demonstrate that EPR in combination with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) allows for probing the bonding and charge state of alkali metal atoms on an ultrathin magnesium oxide layer on a Ag substrate. We observe a magnetic moment of 1 μB for Li2, LiNa, and Na2 dimers corresponding to spin radicals with a charge state of +1e. Single alkali atoms have the same charge state and no magnetic moment. The ionization of the adsorbates is attributed to charge transfer through the oxide to the metal substrate. Our work highlights the potential of EPR-STM to provide insight into dopant atoms that are relevant for the control of the electrical properties of surfaces and nanodevices.