Abstract
We have grown an atom-thin, ordered, two-dimensional multi-phase film in situ
through germanium molecular beam epitaxy using a gold (111) surface as a
substrate. Its growth is similar to the formation of silicene layers on silver (111)
templates. One of the phases, forming large domains, as observed in scanning
tunneling microscopy, shows a clear, nearly flat, honeycomb structure. Thanks
to thorough synchrotron radiation core-level spectroscopy measurements and
advanced density functional theory calculations we can identify it as a √3 × √3
R(30°) germanene layer in conjunction with a √7 × √7 R(19.1°) Au(111)
supercell, presenting compelling evidence of the synthesis of the germaniumbased
cousin of graphene on gold.