Manifestation of quantum chaos on scattering techniques: application to low-energy and photo-electron diffraction intensities

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum chaos influences scattering intensities in low-energy electron diffraction and photo-electron diffraction, revealing statistical behaviors consistent with chaotic quantum systems and discussing implications for surface analysis.

Contribution

It demonstrates the manifestation of quantum chaos in scattering intensities and connects statistical distributions with Berry's conjecture, providing new insights into surface structural analysis.

Findings

Scattering intensities follow a Porter-Thomas distribution.

Quantum chaos signatures are observed in diffraction data.

Implications for surface analysis are qualitatively discussed.

Abstract

Intensities of LEED and PED are analyzed from a statistical point of view. The probability distribution is compared with a Porter-Thomas law, characteristic of a chaotic quantum system. The agreement obtained is understood in terms of analogies between simple models and Berry's conjecture for a typical wavefunction of a chaotic system. The consequences of this behaviour on surface structural analysis are qualitatively discussed by looking at the behaviour of standard correlation factors.