Electric Field-Induced Formation of a 2D Adatom Gas on Cryogenic Li Surfaces
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866910820280041472 |
|---|---|
| author | Katnagallu, Shyam Zhao, Huan Kim, Se-Ho Gault, Baptiste Freysoldt, Christoph Neugebauer, Jörg |
| author_facet | Katnagallu, Shyam Zhao, Huan Kim, Se-Ho Gault, Baptiste Freysoldt, Christoph Neugebauer, Jörg |
| contents | Intense electrostatic fields, such as those able to break bonds and cause field-ion emission, can fundamentally alter the behaviour of atoms at and on the surface. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the Li (110) surface under high electrostatic fields, we identify a critical field strength at which surface atoms occupying a kink site become thermodynamically unstable against adatom formation. This mechanism leads to the formation of a highly concentrated two-dimensional (2D) adatom gas on the surface. Moreover, the applied field reverses the stability of preferred adsorption sites, enabling barrierless diffusion of lithium atoms even well below the threshold required for field evaporation. The here identified mechanisms offer a unified explanation for experimental observations in atom probe tomography and for understanding high electric field phenomena in systems such as battery interfaces and electrochemical environments. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_06518 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Electric Field-Induced Formation of a 2D Adatom Gas on Cryogenic Li Surfaces Katnagallu, Shyam Zhao, Huan Kim, Se-Ho Gault, Baptiste Freysoldt, Christoph Neugebauer, Jörg Materials Science Intense electrostatic fields, such as those able to break bonds and cause field-ion emission, can fundamentally alter the behaviour of atoms at and on the surface. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the Li (110) surface under high electrostatic fields, we identify a critical field strength at which surface atoms occupying a kink site become thermodynamically unstable against adatom formation. This mechanism leads to the formation of a highly concentrated two-dimensional (2D) adatom gas on the surface. Moreover, the applied field reverses the stability of preferred adsorption sites, enabling barrierless diffusion of lithium atoms even well below the threshold required for field evaporation. The here identified mechanisms offer a unified explanation for experimental observations in atom probe tomography and for understanding high electric field phenomena in systems such as battery interfaces and electrochemical environments. |
| title | Electric Field-Induced Formation of a 2D Adatom Gas on Cryogenic Li Surfaces |
| topic | Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.06518 |