Theoretical studies for scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract A theoretical approach, exactly solvable, based on the scattering of electrons by rough surfaces is presented to explaintunnel-vacuum experiments. The electrodes, the tip as well as the crystal surface are described by a jellium model. A simple formula that works excellently is given for the tunnel conductivity showing that this varies linearly with the radios of curvature of the tip-surface system. It is also shown that the classical image potential plays a very important role in the correct interpretation of the vacuum tunneling experiments. The image potentials saturates at short distances (= 3.0between jellium edges) into the exchange and correlation potential as described by density functional theory.

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