AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition
    2D Materials Tuesday Sessions
       Session 2D-TuP

Paper 2D-TuP4
Vibrational Progression of a Single Hydrocarbon Molecule on Graphene and Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 6:30 pm, Room Union Station B

Session: 2D Poster Session
Presenter: Alexander Mehler, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany
Authors: A. Mehler, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany
N. Néel, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany
J. Halle, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany
M.L. Bocquet, École normale supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, France
J. Kröger, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany
Correspondent: Click to Email
Probing genuine molecular properties even after adsorption on a surface requires the efficient reduction of the molecule-surface hybridization. Two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) and stackings thereof, are promising buffer layers to this end. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy at low temperature is used to explore molecular orbitals and vibrational quanta of the hydrocarbon molecule DBP (Dibenzotetraphenylperiflanthen) on graphene and hBN with submolecular resolution. Independent of the metal substrate, Ir(111), Pt(111) and Ru(0001), vibrational progression in both DBP frontier orbitals is observed for graphene and hBN, albeit with different numbers of vibrational quanta involved. Density functional calculations unveil that symmetry matching of electronic and vibrational excitations supports the observation of vibrational progression. The lifetime of the vibronic levels can be tuned by the molecular environment of a single DBP as well as by using different kinds and numbers of buffer layers.