The behaviour of a set of cobalt adatoms on the herring-bone reconstruction of gold was investigated through a combination of classical molecular dynamics and the nudged elastic band method. A strong diffusion anisotropy was evidenced on the face-centered cubic and hexagonal close-packed parts of the reconstruction. It favours the diffusion of the cobalt adatoms toward the discommensuration lines. Then, the discommensuration lines acted as diffusion channels for the cobalt adatoms movement, by focusing them to the kinks of the reconstruction, where the cobalt clusters nucleation takes place.

Atomic Diffusion on Nanostructured Surfaces. Bulou, H.: Superlattices and Microstructures, 2008, 44[4-5], 533-41