Abstract
The stability of metallic thin films is studied with a free electron model, which is popularly known as the model of ``particle in a box.'' A detailed theoretical framework is presented, along with discussion on typical metals, such as Pb, Al, Ag, Na, and Be. This simple model is found to be able to describe well the oscillation pattern of stability for continuous metallic films. In particular, it yields even-odd oscillations in the stability of Pb(111) film, consistent with both experimental observation and ab initio results. However, the free electron model is too crude to predict at what thickness a film is stable. Film stability is further examined with a model of ``particle in a corrugated box,'' where a lattice potential is added along the vertical direction of a film. The effect of lattice potential is found not substantial.
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