Dynamics of a metal overlayer on metallic substrates: High temperature effects

We have explored the structure and the dynamics of a bimetallic system consisting of a hexagonal (almost) overlayer of Ag on a square lattice (Ni(100) and Cu(100)), as a function of the surface temperature. In each case the structure is ``nearly`` incommensurate giving rise to a low frequency Goldstone mode. Also, the overlayer atoms slosh back and forth over the substrate in a corrugated fashion. The calculated dispersion of the Ag/metal vertical mode, at room temperature, is in excellent agreement with experimental data. At higher temperatures floater atoms appear on top of the overlayer displaying a variety of cluster formations and also exchanges with the substrate atoms leading to surface disordering, interdiffusion and melting.