Figure 1

Surface domain self-assembly evolution during Pb deposition on Cu(111). LEEM bright-field micrographs of the Cu(111) surface with (a) a 2D droplet, (b) a striped, and (c) an inverted 2D-droplet pattern. Images were taken at an electron energy of 18 V where the overlayer phase appears bright and the surface alloy phase appears dark (field of view is $1.8\mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{m}$).Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

(a) Example trajectories that were measured for several different 2D droplets from 15 consecutive images of a fairly ordered 2D-droplet configuration at 595 K. Dashed circles are drawn to provide an indication of the area of the 2D droplets. (b) Distribution of the displacements of the 2D droplets under different conditions. The 2D-droplet density for the high density data is a factor 2.7 times higher than that of the low density data. (c) The probability distribution of $\frac{\Delta U}{g}$, determined from the analysis as it is described in the text. Despite the difference in experimental conditions, all three data sets collapse onto one single curve (solid line).Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

Comparison of the area-fraction dependence of the domain patterns with a dipolar interaction model. (a) Measured total coverages of the 2D droplets (dotted, left), the inverted 2D droplets (dotted, right), and the stripes (solid) as a function of area fraction at 673 K showing the phase transitions between the 2D-droplet and stripe phases. Data points have reproducibility based errors in both $x$ and $y$ of about $7\%$. Curves predicted by theory are plotted as dashed lines. (b) Domain boundary density as a function of the area fraction of the overlayer phase. The data points are the measured densities, $n_b$, times the characteristic stripe width, $l_0$, plotted versus the area fraction, $f$, at 673 K. One data point has the data set error bars marked. Pb depositions at 630, 651, and 691 K yielded similar data. The solid and dashed lines are theoretical predictions [23] for the stripes and (inverted) 2D droplets, respectively, assuming sharp interfaces between domains.Reuse & Permissions