Surface physics at the nano-scale via scanning probe microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations

Probe-based scanning microscopes, such as the STM and the AFM, are used to obtain the topographical and electronic structure maps of material surfaces , and to modify their morphologies on nanoscopic scales. They have generate d new areas of research in condensed matter physics and materials science. We will review some examples from the fields of experimental nano-mechanics , nano-electronics and nano-magnetism. These now form the basis of the emer ging field of Nano-technology, A parallel development has been brought abou t in the held of Computational Nana-science, using quantum-mechanical techn iques and computer-based numerical modelling, such as the Molecular Dynamic s (MD) simulation method. We will report on the simulation of nucleation an d growth of nano-phase films on supporting substrates. Furthermore, a theor etical modelling of the formation of STM images of metallic clusters on met allic substrates will also be discussed within the non-equilibrium Keldysh Green function method to study the effects of coherent tunnelling through d ifferent atomic orbitals in a tip-sample geometry.