English

Preroughening, Diffusion, and Growth of An FCC(111) Surface

Condensed Matter 2009-10-28 v1

Abstract

Preroughening of close-packed fcc(111) surfaces, found in rare gas solids, is an interesting, but poorly characterized phase transition. We introduce a restricted solid-on-solid model, named FCSOS, which describes it. Using mostly Monte Carlo, we study both statics, including critical behavior and scattering properties, and dynamics, including surface diffusion and growth. In antiphase scattering, it is shown that preroughening will generally show up at most as a dip. Surface growth is predicted to be continuous at preroughening, where surface self-diffusion should also drop. The physical mechanism leading to preroughening on rare gas surfaces is analysed, and identified in the step-step elastic repulsion.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9511095,
  title  = {Preroughening, Diffusion, and Growth of An FCC(111) Surface},
  author = {S. Prestipino and G. Santoro and E. Tosatt},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9511095},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

Revtex + uuencoded figures, to appear in Physical Review Letters