Fluctuations of an atomic ledge bordering a crystalline facet.
When a high symmetry facet joins the rounded part of a crystal, the step line density vanishes as square root of r with r denoting the distance from the facet edge. This means that the ledge bordering the facet has a lot of space to meander as caused by thermal activation. We investigate the statistical properties of the border ledge fluctuations. In the scaling regime they turn out to be non-Gaussian and related to the edge statistics of Gaussian unitary ensemble multimatrix models.
Ferrari
Patrik L
PL
Zentrum Mathematik and Physik Department, TU Munich, D-85747 Garching, Germany. ferrari@ma.tum.edu
Prähofer
Michael
M
Spohn
Herbert
H