Atomic engineering of oxide nanostructure superlattices

Low-dimensional nanoscale oxide-metal hybrid structures have been fabricated by decoration of a vicinal noble metal surface, Pd(1,1,17), by 1-D and 2-D Mn-oxide nanowires and nanostripes. STM and LEED demonstrate that highly ordered superlattices of Mn-oxide nanostructures can be obtained. The coupling of the oxide nanophases to the metal steps and terraces leads to a mesoscopic stabilization of the step-terrace morphology thus creating nearly perfect nanopatterned oxide systems.