Research | Queen’s University Canada

Mesas, ridges and pits on a copper surface

The image was taken with a scanning tunneling microscope that was built by Benedict Drevniok in the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy at Queen’s University. It depicts a copper surface that had been bombarded with Argon atoms. This creates a surface that is pitted (dark blue color). The originally flat surface ends up with this interesting structure. Material is displaced from the pits, creating mesas and ridges (gold color). The steps on the surface are only one atom in height. The image shows a region that is approximately one micrometre in width and height.
Submission Year: 
2016-17
Photographer's affiliation: 
Graduate student
Academic areas: 
Arts and Science
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
Photo: 
Mesas, ridges and pits on a copper surface
Categories: 
PhD student/candidate
Faculty of Arts and Science
Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy
School of Graduate Studies
Materials Discovery and Molecular Design
Understanding the Universe, the Planet and our Place
Location of photograph: 
Stirling Hall, Queen’s University
Photographer's name: 
Benedict Drevniok
Display Photographers Affiltion + Faculty or Department: 
PhD Student, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy