Structure of platinum adatom clusters on Pt(100): Experimental observations and embedded-atom-method calculations

Abstract

The structure of Pt adatom clusters on Pt(100) is observed to oscillate between chain- and island-type configurations as the number of adatoms is increased from three through six. Embedded-atom-method calculations are found to predict these results and show that lattice relaxations are a critical factor in causing this unusual series of structural transformations.