# Towards surface diffusion potential mapping on atomic length scale

## TL;DR

This paper introduces an atomic force microscopy method to map surface diffusion potentials at the atomic scale, providing a new experimental approach to measure energy barriers relevant for processes like catalysis and self-assembly.

## Contribution

It presents a novel AFM-based technique for semiquantitative mapping of surface diffusion potentials on atomic length scales, bridging a gap in experimental measurement capabilities.

## Key findings

- AFM damping signal correlates with energy barrier lowering
- Method can compare experimental data with theoretical diffusion barriers
- Proof of concept demonstrated on atomic scale surfaces

## Abstract

The surface diffusion potential landscape plays an essential role in a number of physical and chemical processes such as self-assembly and catalysis. Diffusion energy barriers can be calculated theoretically for simple systems, but there is currently no experimental technique to systematically measure them on the relevant atomic length scale. Here, we introduce an atomic force microscopy based method to semiquantitatively map the surface diffusion potential on an atomic length scale. In this proof of concept experiment, we show that the atomic force microscope damping signal at constant frequency-shift can be linked to nonconservative processes associated with the lowering of energy barriers and compared with calculated single-atom diffusion energy barriers.