For the first time, researchers at BESSY II have successfully shown that a material can exhibit truly one-dimensional electronic properties. Using a carefully controlled experimental approach, the team studied tiny chains of phosphorus atoms that naturally arrange themselves at specific angles on a silver surface. By applying advanced analytical methods, they were able to separate and identify the signals from chains oriented in different directions. This detailed examination confirmed that each phosphorus chain behaves as a genuine one-dimensional electronic system.
Theoretical calculations add an exciting prediction: when these chains are brought closer together, their behavior is expected to change dramatically. Structures with widely spaced chains act as semiconductors, but when the chains are densely packed, the material could become metallic.
All matter is made of atoms that bond together to form countless substances. Typically, atoms connect both within a plane and in perpendicular directions. However, some elements, like carbon, can form unique two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, where atoms link only within a single plane. Phosphorus is also capable of forming stable 2D structures. These 2D materials have drawn significant attention because of their remarkable electrical and optical characteristics. Scientists now believe that materials confined to just one dimension could possess even more extraordinary electro-optical properties.
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