Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 046101 (2009) [4 pages]Rapid Diffusion of Magic-Size Islands by Combined Glide and Vacancy MechanismReceived 30 June 2008; published 22 July 2009 Using molecular dynamics, nudged elastic band, and embedded atom methods, we show that certain 2D Ag islands undergo extremely rapid one-dimensional diffusion on Cu(001) surfaces. Indeed, below 300 K, hopping rates for “magic-size” islands are orders of magnitude faster than hopping rates for single Ag adatoms. This rapid diffusion requires both the c(10×2) hexagonally packed superstructure typical of Ag on Cu(001) and appropriate “magic sizes” for the islands. The novel highly cooperative diffusion mechanism presented here couples vacancy diffusion with simultaneous core glide. © 2009 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.046101
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.046101
PACS:
68.35.Fx, 68.55.−a
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