Results of scanning tunnelling microscopy show that two different kinds of surface structures coexist on the (110) surface of Pt80Fe20. The predominant structure corresponds well to the missing row type (1 x 2) reconstruction previously observed on, for example Pt(110), whereas the minority domains show a faintly buckled structure with approximately (1 x 1) geometry. Based on the scanning tunnelling microscopy images, the authors propose that the two domains have different surface chemical compositions and correspond to two different metallurgical phases known for the PtFe system at this composition.

Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy Studies of Pt80Fe20(110). M.Hammar, Y.Gauthier, M.Gothelid, U.O.Karlsson, S.A.Flodstrom, A.Rosengren: Journal of Physics - Condensed Matter, 1993, 5[18], 2837-42