Analysis of scanning tunneling microscopy images and scanning tunneling spectrum of electrons confined in equilateral triangular quantum corrals

We determined the stationary states of an electron confined in an equilateral triangular quantum corral by the superposition of electron waves undergoing successive reflections at three barrier walls. By using wave functions and eigenenergies, we analyzed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images and scanning tunneling spectra for the quantum corral. Our results are consistent with experimental STM images observed in the differential conductance mode (dI/dV) and scanning tunneling spectra. It is pointed out that the dI/dV image is not simply proportional to the surface local density of states but is greatly dependent on a filtering function.