A simple interpretation of quantum mirages

In an interesting new experiment, the electronic structure of a magnetic atom adsorbed on the surface of Cu(1 1 1), observed by scanning tunneling microscopy, was projected into a remote location on the same surface. The purpose of the present paper is to interpret this experiment with a model Hamiltonian, using ellipses of the size of the experimental ones, containing about 2300 atoms. The charge distribution for the different wave functions is analyzed, in particular, for those with energy close to the Fermi energy of copper EF. Some of them show two symmetric maxima located on the principal axis of the ellipse but not necessarily at the foci. If a Co atom is adsorbed at the site where the wave function with energy EF has maximum and the interaction is small, the main effect of the adsorbed atom will be to split this particular wave function into two. The total charge density will remain the same but the local density of states will present a dip at EF at any site where the charge density is large enough. We relate the presence of this dip to the observation of quantum mirages. Our interpretation suggests that other sites, apart from the foci of the ellipses, can be used for projecting atomic images and also indicates the conditions for other non-magnetic adsorbates to produce mirages.