2007/01/01 by Howon Kim, Shi-Zeng Lin, Shi‐Zeng Lin +7
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paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.117.116802
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 116802 (2016) · Main: 16pages with 3 figures, Supplementary materials : 12 pages with 5figures
openalex publication_date 2007/01/01 · arxiv created 2014/01/12 · arxiv updated 2020/02/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/13
Local disordered nanostructures in an atomically thick metallic layer on a semiconducting substrate play significant and decisive roles in transport properties of two-dimensional (2D) conductive systems. We measured the electrical conductivity through a step of monoatomic height in a truly microscopic manner by using as a signal the superconducting pair correlation induced by the proximity effect. The transport property across a step of a one-monolayer Pb surface metallic phase, formed on a Si(111) substrate, was evaluated by inducing the pair correlation around the local defect and measuring its response, i.e., the reduced density of states at the Fermi energy using scanning tunneling microscopy. We found that the step resistance has a significant contribution to the total resistance on a nominally flat surface. Our study also revealed that steps in the 2D metallic layer terminate the propagation of the pair correlation. Superconductivity is enhanced between the first surface step and the superconductor-normal-metal interface by reflectionless tunneling when the step is located within a coherence length.