Honeycomb lattice of graphite probed by scanning tunneling microscopy with a carbon nanotube tip

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that carbon nanotube tips in scanning tunneling microscopy enable high-resolution imaging of graphite's honeycomb lattice at low temperatures, revealing orbital details due to their sharp p orbitals.

Contribution

The paper introduces a method to fabricate and utilize CNT tips in STM, achieving enhanced spatial resolution and orbital imaging of graphite.

Findings

Resolved honeycomb lattice of graphite at 79 K using CNT tips.

CNT tips provide superior spatial resolution due to p orbital contributions.

Useful for imaging small lattice constants and orbital ordering in samples.

Abstract

A carbon nanotube (CNT) tip was fabricated at the apex of an etched tungsten wire by chemical vapor deposition and used for scanning tunneling microscopy. The honeycomb lattice of graphite in the STM images was resolved with a CNT tip at T=79 K. The superior spatial resolution originating from the p orbitals of a CNT is responsible for the image of the honeycomb lattice of graphite in the STM images. The CNT tips are useful to image samples whose lattice constants are small and to get orbital information in samples with orbital ordering due to their superior spatial resolution with the sharp p orbitals.