A novel diffusion mechanism for 1-dimensional Pt clusters on the anisotropic Pt(110)-(1 x 2) surface was reported. This mechanism, which was revealed by atomic-resolution time-lapse scanning tunnelling microscopy, involved the end-atom of a cluster being promoted to the next layer, migrating over the cluster, and dropping back again; thus resulting in a cluster displacement of one lattice spacing. The activation barriers, to an atom ascending and descending the cluster edges, were estimated to be 0.91 and 0.70eV, respectively.

Novel Mechanism for Diffusion of One-Dimensional Clusters: Pt/Pt(110)-(1 x 2). T.R.Linderoth, S.Horch, L.Petersen, S.Helveg, E.Lægsgaard, I.Stensgaard, F.Besenbacher: Physical Review Letters, 1999, 82[7], 1494-7