The dimensionality reduction at surfaces as a playground for many-body and correlation effects

Low-dimensional systems have always deserved attention due to the peculiarity of their physics, which is different from or even at odds with three-dimensional expectations. This is precisely the case for many-body effects, as electron-electron correlation or electron-phonon coupling are behind many intriguing problems in condensed matter physics. These interesting phenomena at low dimensions can be studied in one of the paradigms of two dimensionality—the surface of crystals. The maturity of today's surface science techniques allows us to perform thorough experimental studies that can be complemented by the current strength of state-of-the-art calculations. Surfaces are thus a natural two-dimensional playground for studying correlation and many-body effects, which is precisely the object of this special section.

This special section presents a collection of eight invited articles, giving an overview of the current status of selected systems, promising techniques and theoretical approaches for studying many-body effects at surfaces and low-dimensional systems. The first article by Hofmann investigates electron-phonon coupling in quasi-free-standing graphene by decoupling graphene from two different substrates with different intercalating materials. The following article by Kirschner deals with the study of NiO films by electron pair emission, a technique particularly well-adapted for studying high electron correlation. Bovensiepen investigates electron-phonon coupling via the femtosecond time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy technique. The next article by Malterre analyses the phase diagram of alkalis on Si(111):B and studies the role of many-body physics. Biermann proposes an extended Hubbard model for the series of C, Si, Sn and Pb adatoms on Si(111) and obtains the inter-electronic interaction parameters by first principles. Continuing with the theoretical studies, Bechstedt analyses the influence of on-site electron correlation in insulating antiferromagnetic surfaces. Ortega reports on the gap of molecular layers on metal systems, where the metal-organic interaction affects the organic gap through correlation effects. Finally, Cazalilla presents a study of the phase diagram of one-dimensional atoms or molecules displaying a Kondo-exchange interaction with the substrate.

Acknowledgments

The editors are grateful to all the invited contributors to this special section of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. We also thank the IOP Publishing staff for handling the administrative matters and the refereeing process.

Correlation and many-body effects at surfaces contents

The dimensionality reduction at surfaces as a playground for many-body and correlation effectsA Tejeda, E G Michel and A Mascaraque

Electron-phonon coupling in quasi-free-standing grapheneJens Christian Johannsen, Søren Ulstrup, Marco Bianchi, Richard Hatch, Dandan Guan, Federico Mazzola, Liv Hornekær, Felix Fromm, Christian Raidel, Thomas Seyller and Philip Hofmann

Exploring highly correlated materials via electron pair emission: the case of NiO/Ag(100)F O Schumann, L Behnke, C H Li and J Kirschner

Coherent excitations and electron-phonon coupling in Ba/EuFe₂As₂ compounds investigated by femtosecond time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopyI Avigo, R Cortés, L Rettig, S Thirupathaiah, H S Jeevan, P Gegenwart, T Wolf, M Ligges, M Wolf, J Fink and U Bovensiepen

Understanding the insulating nature of alkali-metal/Si(111):B interfacesY Fagot-Revurat, C Tournier-Colletta, L Chaput, A Tejeda, L Cardenas, B Kierren, D Malterre, P Le Fèvre, F Bertran and A Taleb-Ibrahimi

What about U on surfaces? Extended Hubbard models for adatom systems from first principlesPhilipp Hansmann, Loïg Vaugier, Hong Jiang and Silke Biermann

Influence of on-site Coulomb interaction U on properties of MnO(001)2 × 1 and NiO(001)2 × 1 surfacesA Schrön, M Granovskij and F Bechstedt

On the organic energy gap problemF Flores, E Abad, J I Martínez, B Pieczyrak and J Ortega

Easy-axis ferromagnetic chain on a metallic surfaceMiguel A Cazalilla