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

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new model to study the preroughening transition on FCC(111) surfaces, analyzing its static and dynamic properties through Monte Carlo simulations, revealing critical behavior, scattering features, and surface diffusion effects.

Contribution

It presents the FCSOS model for preroughening, providing new insights into the phase transition and surface dynamics of FCC(111) surfaces.

Findings

Preroughening appears as a dip in antiphase scattering.

Surface growth remains continuous at preroughening.

Surface self-diffusion decreases at the transition.

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.