Condensed Matter Physics, 2014, vol. 17, No. 4, 43601
DOI:10.5488/CMP.17.43601           arXiv:1501.02566

Title: The mechanism of domain-wall structure formation in Ar-Kr submonolayer films on graphite
Author(s):
  A. Patrykiejew (Department for the Modelling of Physico-Chemical Processes, Faculty of Chemistry, MCS University, 20031 Lublin, Poland) ,
  S. Soko\lowski (Department for the Modelling of Physico-Chemical Processes, Faculty of Chemistry, MCS University, 20031 Lublin, Poland)

Using Monte Carlo simulation method in the canonical ensemble, we have studied the commensurate-incommensurate transition in two-dimensional finite mixed clusters of Ar and Kr adsorbed on graphite basal plane at low temperatures. It has been demonstrated that the transition occurs when the argon concentration exceeds the value needed to cover the peripheries of the cluster. The incommensurate phase exhibits a similar domain-wall structure as observed in pure krypton films at the densities exceeding the density of a perfect (√3x√3)R30º commensurate phase, but the size of commensurate domains does not change much with the cluster size. When the argon concentration increases, the composition of domain walls changes while the commensurate domains are made of pure krypton. We have constructed a simple one-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova-like model that yields the results being in a good qualitative agreement with the Monte Carlo results obtained for two-dimensional systems.

Key words: adsorption of mixtures, commensurate-incommensurate transitions, Monte Carlo simulation, finite systems, Frenkel-Kontorova model
PACS: 68.35.Rh, 64.70.Rh, 64.60.an


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