Charge density waves affected by Rb nanowire network formation on 1T-TaS2

Abstract Alkali metals tend to either intercalate or adsorb on layered materials. With sufficient kinetic energy of the impinging atoms Rb forms nanowire networks on surfaces of transition metal dichalcogenides [R. Adelung, L. Kipp, J. Brandt, L. Tarcak, M. Traving, C. Kreis, M. Skibowski, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74 (1999) 3053]. This contrasts earlier results discussing alkali metal exposure to layered 1T-TaS 2 crystals in terms of intercalation phenomena [C. Pettenkofer, W. Jaegermann, Phys. Rev. B 50 (1994) 8816; I. Ekvall, H.E. Brauer, E. Wahlstrom, H. Olin, Phys. Rev. B 59 (1999) 7751]. We show that Rb exposure to 1T-TaS 2 may result in nanowire networks that drastically affect the charge density wave (CDW) phases of 1T-TaS 2 . By combined application of synchrotron radiation excited angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and LEED, the change in electronic structure leading to a new room temperature phase can be related to the network geometry.