title: Ultrafast Atomic Diffusion Inducing a Reversible (2sqrt[3]×2sqrt[3])R30°↔(sqrt[3]×sqrt[3])R30° Transition on Sn/Si(111)∶B.
abstract: Dynamical phase transitions are a challenge to identify experimentally and describe theoretically. Here, we study a new reconstruction of Sn on silicon and observe a reversible transition where the surface unit cell divides its area by a factor of 4 at 250 °C. This phase transition is explained by the 24-fold degeneracy of the ground state and a novel diffusive mechanism, where four Sn atoms arranged in a snakelike cluster wiggle at the surface exploring collectively the different quantum mechanical ground states.
authors.affiliation: Institut Jean Lamour, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, 54506 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France.|Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif sur Yvette, France.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Srour
authors.affiliation: Dto. de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Trabada
authors.affiliation: Dto. de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Dto. de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Dto. de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.affiliation: Dto. de Física de Materiales, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abuín
authors.affiliation: Institut Jean Lamour, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, 54506 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fagot-Revurat
authors.affiliation: Institut Jean Lamour, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, 54506 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kierren
authors.affiliation: UR1 CNRS/Synchrotron SOLEIL, Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif sur Yvette, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taleb-Ibrahimi
authors.affiliation: Institut Jean Lamour, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, 54506 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malterre
authors.affiliation: Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif sur Yvette, France.|Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, UMR 8502, F-91405 Orsay, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tejeda