Low-energy-electron-diffraction structural determination of the graphite (0001) surface

Abstract

Low-energy-electron-diffraction intensity-energy spectra obtained from the (0001) face of graphite have been compared to dynamical-scattering calculations for models of a reconstructed and unreconstructed surface. Agreement is found via $r$-factor analysis for the model assuming the bulk layer stacking sequence ($\mathrm{ABAB}\dots{}$) at the surface and a top carbon layer contraction of 0.05 \AA{} (1.5% of the bulk value) and a surface nearly devoid of monatomic steps.