Sublattice Disordering (Preroughening) and Roughening in Non-Reconstructing f.c.c.(110) Surfaces

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
An anisotropic body-centred solid-on-solid model of the (110) surface (previously studied for the case of reconstructed Au(110)) is examined for the description of the non-reconstructed f.c.c. metal surfaces. A preroughening-type order-disorder phase transition associated with the in-plane two-sublattice degrees of freedom is detected by means of a Monte Carlo simulation. It takes place about 20% below the roughening transition temperature with parameters chosen to describe roughly the case of Ag(110). This sublattice disordering transition presents novel critical exponents (including α = - 0.23 ± 0.12 and β = 0.25 ± 0.08) which differ significantly from those of the 2D Ising model. Simulation of the scattering intensities suggests a possible experimental verification of the proposed phase structure.