Preroughening, Diffusion, and Growth of a fcc(111) Surface

Preroughening of close-packed fcc(111) surfaces, found in rare gas solids, is an interesting but poorly characterized phase transition. We introduce a restricted solid-on-solid model, which describes it. Using mostly Monte Carlo, we study both statics, including critical behavior and scattering properties, and dynamics, including surface diffusion and growth. In antiphase scattering, it is shown that preroughening will generally show up at most as a dip. Surface growth is predicted to be continuous at preroughening, where surface self-diffusion should also drop. The physical mechanism leading to preroughening on rare gas surfaces is analyzed and identified in the step-step elastic repulsion.