Detecting the dipole moment of a single carbon monoxide molecule

Journal Article · Mon Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4890324· OSTI ID:22303940

Köhler, A.; Grenz, J.; Wiesendanger, R. ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, Institute of Applied Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, 20355 Hamburg (Germany)

Using non-contact atomic force microscopy with metallic tips enabled us to detect the electrostatic dipole moment of single carbon monoxide (CO) molecules adsorbed on three very different substrates. The observed distance dependent contrast can be explained by an interplay between the attractive van der Waals interaction and the repulsive electrostatic interaction, respectively, with the latter stemming from antiparallel aligned dipoles in tip and molecule. Our results suggest that metallic as well as CO-functionalized tips are able to probe electrostatic properties of polar molecules and that repulsive dipole-dipole interactions have to be considered when interpreting complex contrast patterns.

• OSTI ID: 22303940
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CARBON MONOXIDE
DIPOLE MOMENTS
DIPOLES
INTERACTIONS
MOLECULES
SUBSTRATES
VAN DER WAALS FORCES