Incommensurate and commensurate phases in adsorbed monolayers: ground state properties

Abstract

The ground state properties of incommensurate films of domain wall structure formed on the (100) plane of face centered cubic crystals are studied by Monte Carlo simulation. The wall energies, wall structure and the wall-wall interaction are determined for domain walls occurring in films which form the c(2*2) registered structure. The systems characterized by different strength and corrugation of the surface potential and of different misfit between adsorbate and adsorbent are discussed. It is demonstrated that the structure with crossing heavy walls may have higher stability than a simple striped phase with parallel heavy walls.