Fluctuations of steps on crystal surfaces Original Research Article

Fluctuations of isolated and pairs of ascending steps of monoatomic height are studied within the framework of SOS models, using mainly Monte Carlo techniques. Below the roughening transition of the surface, the profiles of long steps show the same scaling features for terrace and surface diffusion. For a pair of short steps, their separation distance is found to grow as t1/3 at late stages. Above roughening, simulational data on surface diffusion agree well with the classical continuum theory of Mullins.