Room temperature quantum corrals

We have developed a methodology by which we call mass produce quantum corra ls on Cu(lll) surfaces. Specifically, we show that islands of an atomic nit rogen-induced reconstruction demonstrate highly directional island growth. Due to the rotational symmetry of the surface, these islands can collide in such ways so as to create between them areas of the clean surface in the f orm of trapezoids, triangles and parallelograms. Within areas of the clean surface, standing electron waves can be observed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.