Charge density waves affected by Rb nanowire network formation on 1T-TaS2

Alkali metals tend to either intercalate or adsorb on layered materials. With sufficient kinetic energy of the impinging atoms Rb forms nanowire networks on surfaces of transition metal dichalcogenides wR. Adelung, L. Kipp, J. Brandt, L. Tarcak, M. Traving, C. Kreis, M. Skibowski, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74 1999.3053x. This contrasts earlier results discussing alkali metal exposure to layered 1T-TaS2 crystals in terms of intercalation phenomena wC. Pettenkofer, W. Jaegermann, Phys. Rev. B 50 1994.8816; I. Ekvall, H.E. Brauer, E. Wahlstro¨m, H. Olin, Phys. Rev. B 59 1999.7751x. We show that Rb exposure to 1T-TaS2 may result in nanowire networks that drastically affect the charge density wave CDW.phases of 1T-TaS2. By combined application of synchrotron radiation excited angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy STM.and LEED, the change in electronic structure leading to a new room temperature phase can be related to the network geometry. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.