Formation and structural phase transition in Co atomic chains on a Cu(775) surface

• Published in: Journal of experimental and theoretical physics 2017-01, Vol.124 (1), p.139-142
• Main Authors: Syromyatnikov, A. G., Kabanov, N. S., Saletsky, A. M., Klavsyuk, A. L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ATOMS; Chain stores; CHAINS; Classical and Quantum Gravitation; COBALT; CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; COPPER; DENSITY FUNCTIONAL METHOD; Density functional theory; Disorder; Elementary Particles; Epitaxial growth; EPITAXY; MONTE CARLO METHOD; Monte Carlo methods; Monte Carlo simulation; Order; Particle and Nuclear Physics; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; Phase Transition in Condensed System; Phase transitions; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Field Theory; RANDOMNESS; Relativity Theory; Solid State Physics; SURFACES
• ISSN: 1063-7761; 1090-6509
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063776116130197

The formation of Co atomic chains on a Cu(775) surface is investigated by the kinetic Monte Carlo method. It is found that the length of Co atomic chains formed as a result of self-organization during epitaxial growth is a random quantity and its mean value depends on the parameters of the experiment. The existence of two structural phases in atomic chains is detected using the density functional theory. In the first phase, the separations between an atom and its two nearest neighbors in a chain are 0.230 and 0.280 nm. In the second phase, an atomic chain has identical atomic spacings of 0.255 nm. It is shown that the temperature of the structural phase transition depends on the length of the atomic chain.