Collective effects in physisorbed molecular hydrogen on Ni/Au(111).

We report a system in which the rotational, vibrational, electronic, and structural properties of condensed molecular H2 can be measured with subnanometer precision using scanning tunneling microscopy. H2 physisorbs around Ni nanoparticles on Au(111) and displays many nonclassical characteristics, including unique disappearance upon heating that is due to changes in the time-averaged phonon ground state population. This collective phenomenon also gives rise to the appearance of submolecular features and constructive overlap at points where neighboring H2 ensembles meet. A model based on the spatial distribution of collective excitations is proposed to explain these properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]