Proving weak electronic interaction between molecules and substrate: a study of pentacene monolayer on graphite

The impact of van der Waals interaction on the electronic structure between a pentacene monolayer and a graphite surface was investigated. Upon cooling the monolayer, newly formed dispersive bands, showing the constant final state nature overlapping with the non-dispersive, discrete molecular orbital state, is observed by low-energy angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The dispersive band consists of positive and negative intensities depending on the final state energy, indicating Fano resonance involving a discrete molecular state that couples a continuum state upon photoionization. A wave-function overlap is demonstrated according to their larger spread in unoccupied states even at the weakly bounded interface by Fano spectral analysis.