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Free keywords:
hexaborides, scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, surface terminations, Beryllium compounds, Borides, Europium compounds, Rare earths, Samarium compounds, Surface topography, Temperature, Atomically rough surfaces, Hexaborides, Low temperatures, Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, Surface termination, Scanning tunneling microscopy
Abstract:
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) investigations on two hexaboride compounds, SmB6 and EuB6, are compared in an effort to provide a comprehensive picture of their surface structural properties. The latter is of particular importance for studying the nature of the surface states in SmB6 by surface-sensitive tools. Beyond the often encountered atomically rough surface topographies of in situ, low-temperature cleaved samples, differently reconstructed as well as B-terminated and, more rarely, rare-earth terminated areas can be found. With all the different surface topographies observed on both hexaborides, a reliable assignment of the surface terminations is brought forward. © 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
