Multilayer relaxation of the Cu(2 1 0) surface

• Published in: Surface science Vol. 504; no. 1-3; pp. L201 - L207
• Main Authors: Ismail, Chandravakar, S., Zehner, D.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 20.04.2002; Amsterdam Elsevier Science; New York, NY
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Copper; Exact sciences and technology; Low energy electron diffraction (LEED); Physics; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Surface relaxation and reconstruction; Surface structure and topography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Copper; Low energy electron diffraction (LEED); Surface relaxation and reconstruction; Surface reconstruction; Transition elements; Theoretical study; Crystal faces; LEED; Experimental study; Structure relaxation; Hard-sphere model; Surface structure
• ISSN: 0039-6028; 1879-2758
• DOI: 10.1016/S0039-6028(02)01100-7

Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) I– V has been utilized to determine the surface structure of Cu(2 1 0). The surface structure is found to exhibit multilayer relaxation following the trend − − + (− is contraction and + is expansion in the interlayer spacing). The magnitude of interplanar relaxation is found to be damped, where | Δd 12|>| Δd 23|>| Δd 34|, etc. This kind of behavior is quite different from that observed on Al(2 1 0) [Phys. Rev. B 38 (1988) 7913], where the magnitude of interplanar relaxation in the third interlayer is larger than that in the second interlayer (i.e., | Δd 23|<| Δd 34|). The difference of damped multilayer relaxation behavior of Cu(2 1 0) and Al(2 1 0) could be related to a charge density oscillation perpendicular to the surface.