Self-assembly and manipulation of Te clusters on WTe2 surface

Abstract

The ability to build matter with atomic precision is central to nanoscience, with profound implications for engineering functional quantum materials and fabricating nanoscale devices. Two different methods, i.e., molecular self-assembly and atomic manipulation, are developed to achieve such a goal. Although both have advanced considerably, their integration within a single system remains largely unexplored, hampering the construction of more complex nanostructures with greater control. Here, we report a method to trigger self-assembly of Te clusters on 1T’-WTe2 surface and show the ability to further manipulate the Te clusters via scanning tunnelling microscopy tip engineering. This enables us to change the position and number of atoms of the Te clusters with atomic precision. Our results indicate that the seamless combination of self-assembly and manipulation in a single system opens new avenues for constructing and tailoring atomic-scale architectures, providing an ideal platform with atomic precision to explore emergent quantum phenomena.