Domain wall superlattices in high coverage CO adlayers on Pd{100}

Abstract

The high coverage CO overlayers on Pd{100} are found to give rise to the unusual phenomenon of continuous splitting of adsorbate-induced features in the LEED pattern over a wide coverage range. The effect is attributed to phase/antiphase domains with a smoothly varying average separation between the domain walls. Kinematic simulations indicate that the domain width distributions still remain relatively narrow and that lateral relaxation of the CO molecules at the domain walls takes place.