Corrugation in the nitrogen-graphite potential probed by inelastic neutron scattering

Authors

F. Y. Hansen
L. W. Bruch
H. Taub
V. L. Frank
H. J. Lauter
John R. Dennison, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Physical Review Letters

Volume

64

Issue

7

Publisher

American Physical Society

Publication Date

2-1990

First Page

764

Last Page

767

Abstract

Inelastic neutron spectra of the commensurate √3 ×3 herringbone monolayer phase of nitrogen physisorbed on the graphite (002) surface at low temperature have been compared with lattice dynamics calculations of the polycrystalline-averaged one-phonon coherent neutron cross section. The observed zone-center energy gap of ∼0.4 THz in the acoustic-phonon branches is a factor of 2 larger than calculated from central atom-atom potentials. We conclude that current models of the corrugation in the adatom substrate potential greatly underestimate the lateral restoring forces in this relatively simple molecular film.

Comments

http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.64.764

Published by the American Physical Society in Physical Review Letters. Publisher PDF is available for download through the link above.

Recommended Citation

F. Y. Hansen, L. W. Bruch, H. Taub, V. L. P. Frank, H. J. Lauter, and JR Dennison, "Corrugation in the Nitrogen-graphite Holding Potential Determined from Analysis of Inelastic Neutron Scattering Data," Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 764-767 (1990).