Mound formation in nonequilibrium surface growth morphology does not necessarily imply a Schwoebel instability

TL;DR

This paper shows that mound formation in nonequilibrium surface growth can occur without the Schwoebel barrier, challenging the common assumption that such morphology indicates its presence.

Contribution

The study demonstrates through models that mound formation does not necessarily require a Schwoebel barrier, prompting a reevaluation of previous interpretations of experimental data.

Findings

Mounded morphologies appear in models without Schwoebel barrier

Mound formation is not exclusive evidence of Schwoebel effects

Results suggest alternative mechanisms for mound formation

Abstract

We demonstrate, using well-established nonequilibrium growth models, that mound formation in the dynamical surface growth morphology does not necessarily imply a surface edge diffusion bias (the Schwoebel barrier) as has been almost universally accepted in the literature. We find mounded morphologies in several nonequilibrium growth models which incorporate no Schwoebel barrier. Our work should lead to a critical re-evaluation of recent experimental observations of mounded morphologies which have been theoretically interpreted in terms of Schwoebel barrier effects.