Speaker
Description
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is a powerful local probe of correlated electronic states. We introduce a group-theoretical framework for STM analysis that decomposes images into components corresponding to irreducible representations of the local density of states, providing a real-space map of symmetry properties. This decomposition enables the direct detection of spatial symmetry-breaking patterns; an ongoing challenge in the field. In the process, we uncover a selection rule, “Bragg peak extinctions,” which renders certain symmetry channels invisible to standard STM analysis, and we show how to circumvent this limitation. We also discuss practical considerations such as piezomagnetic drift and point to future applications, including quasiparticle interference.
