Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states induced by single Fe atoms on reconstructed compound superconductor V3Si

Reconstructed surfaces of the A15-compound superconductor V3Si(100) that are possibly induced by the segregation of bulk impurities serve as platforms to study the dependence of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states induced by a single Fe atom on the adsorption site. Their number, energy and electron–hole asymmetry vary strongly with the atomic environment of the Fe atom. These variations are indicative of different Fe d-orbitals being active in the site-dependent exchange coupling with the substrate Cooper pairs. Spatially resolved spectroscopy gives rise to a short decay length of the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states and thereby suggests the three-dimensional character of the scattering process underlying the bound states.