Abstract
In no aspect is the two-dimensional nature of the surface more readily apparent than in its crystallography. Concepts familiar from the three-dimensional crystallography of bulk materials must be modified to suit the surface subspace, with important consequences for the symmetries and structural forms that may occur. The lowering of symmetry at the surface affords scope for relaxations and reconstructions that are not seen in the parent material, and these phenomena can be of crucial importance in dictating the physical and chemical properties of the surface region. Here, we shall review the basics of three-dimensional crystallography (lattices, unit cells, reciprocal space, etc.) and demonstrate how they carry over into the two-dimensional realm of the surface. We shall also focus upon consequences for point and space symmetries, relating these to surface structural features (e. g., steps, kinks, etc.) via a stereographic representation developed to place vicinal surfaces within a unified conceptual framework. Finally, we introduce and comment upon standard notational schemes for referencing symmetry-breaking reconstruction and/or adsorbate superstructure.
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Jenkins, S.J. (2020). Crystallography of Surfaces. In: Rocca, M., Rahman, T.S., Vattuone, L. (eds) Springer Handbook of Surface Science. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46906-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46906-1_4
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