Fluctuations of an Atomic Ledge Bordering a Crystalline Facet

TL;DR

This paper investigates the statistical fluctuations of atomic ledges bordering crystalline facets, revealing non-Gaussian behavior linked to advanced random matrix models, which enhances understanding of crystal surface dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of ledge fluctuations near crystal facets, connecting physical phenomena with GUE multi-matrix model edge statistics.

Findings

Ledge fluctuations are non-Gaussian in the scaling regime.

Fluctuation statistics are related to GUE multi-matrix models.

The step line density vanishes as sqrt(r) near the facet edge.

Abstract

When a high symmetry facet joins the rounded part of a crystal, the step line density vanishes as sqrt(r) with r denoting the distance from the facet edge. This means that the ledge bordering the facet has a lot of space to meander as caused by thermal activation. We investigate the statistical properties of the border ledge fluctuations. In the scaling regime they turn out to be non-Gaussian and related to the edge statistics of GUE multi-matrix models.