Record link: 
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12708/227310
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Title: 
Surface reconstruction of the polar spinel MgAl₂O₄(001) surface
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Citation: 
Kugler, D., Conti, A., Hütner-Reisch, J. I., Rajak, S., Meier, M., Jiang, N., Mittendorfer, F., Schmid, M., Diebold, U., Parkinson, G., & Balajka, J. (2026). Surface reconstruction of the polar spinel MgAl₂O₄(001) surface. In DPG Spring Meeting 2026 of the Condensed Matter Section (SKM). DPG Spring Meeting 2026 of the Condensed Matter Section (SKM), Dresden, Germany. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12708/227310
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Publication Type: 
Inproceedings - Abstract Book Contribution
en
Language: 
English
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Authors: 
Kugler, David 
Conti, Andrea 
Hütner-Reisch, Johanna Irina 
Rajak, Soumyajit 
Meier, Matthias 
Jiang, Nan 
Mittendorfer, Florian 
Schmid, Michael 
Diebold, Ulrike 
Parkinson, Gareth 
Balajka, Jan 
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Organisational Unit: 
E134-05 - Forschungsbereich Surface Physics 
E056-04 - Fachbereich TU-DX: Towards Applications of 2D Materials 
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Published in: 
DPG Spring Meeting 2026 of the Condensed Matter Section (SKM) 
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Date (published): 
11-Mar-2026
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Event name: 
DPG Spring Meeting 2026 of the Condensed Matter Section (SKM) 
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Event date: 
8-Mar-2026 - 13-Mar-2026
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Event place: 
Dresden, Germany
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Number of Pages: 
1
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Keywords: 
surface structure; polar surfaces; spinel MgAl2O4; noncontact AFM; scanning probe microscopy; oxides; insulators; spinel
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Abstract: 
The atomic-scale surface structure governs the surface chemistry of materials. Magnesium aluminate (MgAl2O4) spinel, a wide-gap insulator, poses considerable challenges for experimental surface characterization. Using noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM), we resolve the atomic structure of the MgAl2O4(001) surface. The surface adopts a c(2×4) reconstruction accompanied by altered surface stoichiometry. The reconstructed surface is enriched in aluminum and contains ordered pairs of octahedrally coordinated Mg atoms that, in bulk, occupy tetrahedral sites. This cation redistribution stabilizes the otherwise polar MgAl2O4(001) termination. The resulting structure closely resembles reconstructions observed on other spinel oxides, suggesting a common mechanism for polarity compensation across the spinel group.
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Research Areas: 
Surfaces and Interfaces: 100%
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Science Branch: 
1030 - Physik, Astronomie: 100%
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