LaAu2 and CeAu2 surface intermetallic compounds grown by high-temperature deposition on Au(111)

We report on the crystal structure and electronic bands of LaAu2 and CeAu2 surface intermetallic compounds grown by high-temperature deposition on Au(111). By scanning-tunneling microscopy we study the formation of different alloy phases as a function of growth temperature and lanthanide coverage. We determine the specific growth conditions to achieve monolayers and bilayers of LaAu2 and CeAu2 with high crystalline quality. Due to lattice mismatch with the underlying Au substrate, both LaAu2 and CeAu2 exhibit long-range moire ́ patterns, which can serve as templates for further nanostructure growth. By angle-resolved photoemission we map the two-dimensional band structure of these surface alloys, discussing the nature of the different spectral features in the light of first-principles calculations.