Band structure of platinum(997) and electronic state of iron nanowires on platinum(997) vicinal surface

Vicinal substrates form the promising templates for low cost effective bottom-up fabrication of nanostructures. A variety of one-dimensional atomic chains can be synthesized on the stepped surfaces. The electronic structure of a vicinal surface plays a significant role in determining the physical properties of atomic chains on stepped surfaces as well as the morphology. The Pt(997) surface is off cut at 6.5° of the Pt(111) surface forming terraces of width 2 nm. The surface of the substrate is then characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy STM and angular resolved photoemission spectroscopy from a synchrotron radiation source. The data show that the surface has uniform steps with no reconstructions. Electron confinement is observed with wave vector perpendicular to the step direction. Fe atomic chains were then carefully deposited on the surface of Pt(997) and then characterized. The exchange splitting of Fe 3d bands is estimated from photoemission spectroscopy data.