title: Distinctive fluctuations in a confined geometry.
abstract: Spurred by recent theoretical predictions [Phys. Rev. E 69, 035102(R) (2004)10.1103/PhysRevE.69.035102; Surf. Sci. Lett. 598, L355 (2005)10.1016/j.susc.2005.09.023], we find experimentally using STM line scans that the fluctuations of the step bounding a facet exhibit scaling properties distinct from those of isolated steps or steps on vicinal surfaces. The correlation functions go as t0.15 +/- 0.03 decidedly different from the t0.26 +/- 0.02 behavior for fluctuations of isolated steps. From the exponents, we categorize the universality, confirming the prediction that the nonlinear term of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation, long known to play a central role in nonequilibrium phenomena, can also arise from the curvature or potential-asymmetry contribution to the step free energy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-4111 USA. mdegawa44@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Degawa
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Stasevich
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pimpinelli
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Einstein
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Williams