Size dependence of the dispersion relation for the interface state between NaCl(100) and Ag(111).

This study investigates the interface state electron dispersion relation between NaCl(100) islands and Ag(111) dependent upon NaCl island size. Both onset energy and effective mass are size dependent. However, these dependencies are relevant at different island sizes. We trace back this effective mass dependency to a misfit-induced strain based on atomically resolved images. Our results open up new avenues for the development of nanodevices by tuning the effective electron mass via strain of the insulating component.