Surface-site determination using electron-energy-loss spectroscopy and lattice-dynamical models

Abstract

We show that a lattice-dynamical model based on pair interactions is able to account for the central features of high-resolution electron-energy-loss spectra for oxygen adsorption on Al(111). This particular metal-adsorbate system is complicated by the simultaneous formation of an oxygen overlayer and underlayer. Of seven possible overlayer-underlayer configurations which yield (1 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 1) two-dimensional order, only one configuration accurately accounts for the experimental results when reasonable model parameters are assumed.