Convective instability on a crystal surface
Loading...
Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Description
The distinction between absolute and convective instabilities is well known in the context of hydrodynamics and plasma physics. In this Letter, we examine an epitaxial crystal growth model from this point of view and show that a strain-induced step bunching instability can be convective. Using analytic stability theory and numerical simulations, we study the response of the crystal surface to an inhomogeneous deposition flux that launches impulsive and time-periodic perturbations to a uniform array of steps. The results suggest a new approach to morphological patterning.
4 pages + 5 postscript figure files
4 pages + 5 postscript figure files