Mapping of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states from an extended scatterer

Abstract: We investigate the spatial evolution of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states resulting from the interaction between Copper phthalocyanine molecules and a superconducting Vanadium (100) surface with submolecular resolution. Each molecule creates several YSR states at different energies showing distinctly different spatial intensity patterns. Surprisingly, on the molecules the largest YSR intensities are found not at the metal center, but close to one of the pyrrolic N-atoms, demonstrating strong molecular substrate interactions via the organic ligands. Energy resolved YSR maps reveal that the different YSR states originate from different molecular orbitals. We also follow the YSR states well-beyond the extent of the molecules and find clear oscillations of the YSR intensities without strong particle hole scattering phase differences. This is in contrast to expectations from a point scattering model and recent experimental findings on atomic impurities on superconductors. Our results can be explained by treating the molecular system as extended scatterer. Our findings provide new insights that are crucial to interpret the effects of a variety of magnetic systems on superconductors, in particular also those discussed in the context of Majorana bound states, which because of their size can not be considered point like as well.