On-surface covalent self-assembly of organic molecules is a very promising bottom–up approach for producing atomically controlled nanostructures. Due to their highly tuneable properties, these structures may be used as building blocks in electronic carbon-based molecular devices. Following this idea, here we report on the electronic structure of an ordered array of poly(para-phenylene) nanowires produced by surface-catalysed dehalogenative reaction. By scanning tunnelling spectroscopy we follow the quantization of unoccupied molecular states as a function of oligomer length, with Fermi level crossing observed for long chains. Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy reveals a quasi-1D valence band as well as a direct gap of 1.15 eV, as the conduction band is partially filled through adsorption on the surface. Tight-binding modelling and ab initio density functional theory calculations lead to a full description of the band structure, including the gap size and charge transfer mechanisms, highlighting a strong substrate–molecule interaction that drives the system into a metallic behaviour.

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Identifying the geological and geographical origin of lithic raw materials is critical to effectively address prehistoric forager raw material economies and mobility strategies. Currently, Paleolithic archaeology in Belgium lacks a systematic sourcing strategy to effectively substantiate detailed interpretations of prehistoric hunter‐gatherer behavioral change across time and space. This pilot study evaluates the potential to “fingerprint” flint from the Mons Basin, western Belgium, using the laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) technique and a multivariate statistical analysis of 87 geological samples and 39 Gravettian period chipped stone artifacts. We reappraise two hypotheses raised by previous scholars based on visual raw material identification: (1) the Gravettian occupants of Maisières‐Canal supplied themselves with “black flint” from one single source; (2) the sites Rhens and Koblenz‐Metternich yielded artifacts indicative of long‐distance transfer of western Belgian flint into the German Rhineland, ca. 260 km from the primary source area. Our results demonstrate the validity of LA‐ICP‐MS data with flint and compositional data analysis for fingerprinting discrete geological formations from the Mons Basin. We suggest multiple source provisioning for Maisières‐Canal. Geochemical characterization of other potential flint sources is required to validate the long‐distance transfer hypothesis of western Belgian “black flint” into the German Rhineland.

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With a surface forces apparatus we have measured the interaction between two surfaces immersed in the isotropic and the nematic phases of a lyotropic solution near its lamellar phase. A smectic ordering shows up near walls, giving a specific oscillatory force profile that is shown to be the sum of two contributions. The oscillations are the elastic response of the stack mechanically constrained by the confinement. The shape of the base line supporting the oscillations derives from the distribution of the smectic ordering between the two walls. In the case of fixed symmetric boundary conditions, the background is always attractive. However, under fixed asymmetric boundary conditions, the background turns out to be repulsive at short separations and becomes even repulsive at every separation when one of the two surfaces does not induce any order. ͓S1063-651X͑96͒08707-7͔

We report on new low-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies of alkali-metal/Si(111) previously established as having a Mott-insulating ground state at surface. The observation of a strong temperature dependent Franck-Condon broadening of the surface band together with the novel sqrt[3] x sqrt[3] --> 2(sqrt[3] x sqrt[3]) charge and lattice ordering below 270 K evidence a surface charge density wave in the strong electron-phonon coupling limit (g approximately 8). Both the adiabatic ratio variant Planck's over 2piomega_{0}/t approximately 0.8 and the effective pairing energy V_{eff} = U - 2gvariant Planck's over 2piomega_{0} approximately -800 meV are consistent with the possible formation of a bipolaronic insulating phase consisting of alternating doubly occupied and unoccupied dangling bonds as expected in the Holstein-Hubbard model.

Despite recent advances in exfoliated vdW ferromagnets, the widespread application of 2D magnetism requires a Curie temperature (Tc) above room temperature as well as a stable and controllable magnetic anisotropy. Here we demonstrate a large-scale iron-based vdW material Fe4GeTe2 with the Tc reaching ~530 K. We confirmed the high-temperature ferromagnetism by multiple characterizations. Theoretical calculations suggested that the interface-induced right shift of the localized states for unpaired Fe d electrons is the reason for the enhanced Tc, which was confirmed by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Moreover, by precisely tailoring Fe concentration we achieved arbitrary control of magnetic anisotropy between out-of-plane and in-plane without inducing any phase disorders. Our finding sheds light on the high potential of Fe4GeTe2 in spintronics, which may open opportunities for room-temperature application of all-vdW spintronic devices.