Scanning tunneling microscopy of strained-alpha-Sn(001) surface grown on InSb(001) substrate

We investigated the surface structure of strained-alpha-Sn layers grown on InSb(001) surfaces, which have been attracting the attention of the researchers in the field of topological materials, by optimizing the surface cleaning procedures of the InSb substrate surfaces and the growth conditions of the Sn layers. Accordingly, scanning tunneling microscopy observations showed that the (2 x 2) diffraction patterns are due to the double domain (2 x 1) reconstructed surfaces rotated 90 degrees with respect to one another, as previously suggested based on diffraction observations.