Implementation of the Su–Schrieffer–Heeger Model in the Self-Assembly Si–In Atomic Chains on the Si(553)–Au Surface

Indium-decorated Si atomic chains on a stepped Si(553)-Au substrate are proposed as an extended Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, revealing topological end states. An appropriate amount of In atoms on the Si(553)-Au surface induce the self-assembly formation of trimer SSH chains, where the chain unit cell comprises one In atom and two Si atoms, confirmed by scanning tunneling microscopy images and density functional calculations. The electronic structure of the system, examined through scanning tunneling spectroscopy, manifests three electron bands within the Si-In chain, accompanied by additional midgap topological states exclusively appearing at the chain's end atoms. To elucidate the emergence of these topological states, a tight-binding model for a finite-length-extended SSH chain is proposed. Analysis of the energy spectra, density of states functions, and eigenfunctions demonstrates the topological nature of these self-assembled atomic chains.