Atomic steps involved in the reconstruction of the Pt (110) plane, from the (1 x 1) to the (1 x 2) structure, were directly observed in the field-ion microscope with use of nanosecond-pulsed-laser heating of the surface. The dominant steps were breaking of [110] atomic rows into fragments of two to a few atoms and lateral and cross-channel jumps of these fragments. Within the ∼5ns time resolution of the experiment, atoms were seen to jump in pairs or groups, and jumps of single atoms were rarely seen. The (1 x 2) surface was stabilized by an attractive adatom interaction at ∼2.8 and ∼8Å, and a repulsive interaction at intermediate distances.

Direct Observation of Atomic Steps in the Surface Reconstruction of the Pt (110) Plane. Q.Gao, T.T.Tsong: Physical Review Letters, 1986, 57, 452-5