Surface Science Group discovers field-induced expansion
Surface Science Group in IOP uses scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to observe the energy shift of quantum well states in metallic film under strong electric field. By measuring the energy shift at different electric field, it is found for the first time that the surface atoms can be displaced outward by the electric field, which can subsequently induce the movement of atoms in the film to establish an expansion deformation. The expansion is proportional to the film thickness. This important finding opens up a possibility to measure the Young’s modulus of metallic film in the nano-meter scale. has been published in Physical Review Letters 108, 146102 (2012)
