Paper detail

Reinterpretation of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy on an Adsorbed Magnetic Atom

The observation of the Kondo effect in mesoscopic systems under bias$^{1,2}$ has opened a new chapter in the physics of the Kondo phenomenon. Various types of $dI/dV$, where $I$ and $V$ denote current and source-drain (s-d) bias, respectively, line shapes have been measured by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)$^{1,3-11}$. However, explanation by single Fano line shape$^{1,12-16}$ is not relevant and even misleading. Here, we provide consistent explanations for various asymmetric and symmetric line shapes in terms of a microscopic theory that shows the creation of two resonant tunneling levels (RTLs) when bias is applied$^{17}$. One side Kondo coupling between adatom and substrate does not create Kondo peak that appears only when the system has an overall Kondo coupling including both substrate and tip. The structure of an asymmetric line shape is mostly governed by the RTL peaks. Therefore, Kondo effect is negligible in most asymmetric line shapes.