About cookies on this site Our websites require some cookies to function properly (required). In addition, other cookies may be used with your consent to analyze site usage, improve the user experience and for advertising. For more information, please review your options. By visiting our website, you agree to our processing of information as described in IBM’sprivacy statement. To provide a smooth navigation, your cookie preferences will be shared across the IBM web domains listed here.
Paper
Conductivity sensitivity of inelastic scanning tunneling microscopy
Abstract
We present some considerations for the inelastic increase in conductivity in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) by using the dipole approximation for the vibrating molecules. We show that the relative increase in the case of vacuum tunneling can be considerably larger than that obtained in tunneling through oxide layers, even for a single adsorbed molecule. With the present state of STM, such current changes are readily detectable. We further propose an alternative experimental approach unique for STM. © 1985 The American Physical Society.