Tailoring Electronic and Spin Properties in Organic Semiconductor-Metal Interfaces

Organic semiconductors are promising candidates for integration in state-of-the-art electronic device circuits as well as in next-generation spin-based devices. This has created a need to understand the physics that drive the interfacial structural and electronic properties, particularly in strongly-interacting organic adsorbate systems. In this dissertation, I have studied the interplay between interfacial structure and electronic properties for two organic electron acceptors: HATCN and NO2-PyT on metallic surfaces. Nanoscale imaging (LT-STM, HR-AFM) and local spectroscopy (STS) techniques, coupled with ensemble-averaged techniques such as ARPES, UPS and LEED provide us with a complete picture of the important physics that drive the interfacial properties. Three separate but highly related research projects presented here detail our key findings on tailoring interfacial physics including charge-transfer, Kondo scattering and Rashba spin-orbit coupling on different metallic surfaces. Our results pave the way for better design of hybrid organic-metal interfaces for electronic and spintronics applications. Read more