Lattice dynamics of rare gas multilayers on the Ag(111) surface: Theory and experiment

Abstract

We discuss the lattice dynamics of argon, krypton, and xenon overlayers on the Ag(111) surface. We consider monolayer, bilayer, trilayer and 25 layer films of each of these adsorbates. Data are also presented on the dispersion relations of selected branches of the phonon spectra of these overlayers. The data have been obtained by the method of angle-resolved inelastic He scattering. Several models of the lattice dynamics are compared with the data. It is concluded that the gas phase potentials proposed by Barker and co-workers prove suitable for a description of lateral interactions between the adsorbates, within the accuracy of the available data, provided that the phonon spectra are calculated for a lattice with the experimentally determined lattice constants.