Spiral evolution in a confined geometry.
Supported nanoscale lead crystallites with a step emerging from a noncentered screw dislocation on the circular top facet were prepared by rapid cooling from just above the melting temperature. STM observations of the top facet show a nonuniform rotation rate and shape of the spiral step as the crystallite relaxes. These features can be accurately modeled using curvature driven dynamics, as in classical models of spiral growth, with boundary conditions fixing the dislocation core and regions of the step lying along the outer facet edge.
Ranganathan
Madhav
M
Institute of Physical Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-2431, USA. madhav@glue.umd.edu
Dougherty
D B
DB
Cullen
W G
WG
Zhao
Tong
T
Weeks
John D
JD
Williams
E D
ED