Phonons on the metal surfaces and in adsorption structures

The state-of the vibration dynamics of pure metal surfaces and metal structures formed upon the submonolayer adsorption of the atoms of various elements is considered. A brief historical survey of the milestones of investigations of surface phonons is presented. The results of studies of the atomic structure and vibration characteristics of surfaces with low and high Miller indices and adsorption structures are analyzed. It is demonstrated that vicinal surfaces of fcc metals tend to exhibit specific vibrational modes located on the step and polarized along the step. Irrespective of the type and site of adsorption and the substrate structure, the phonon spectra of submonolayer adsorption structures always tend to display two modes for combined translational displacements of adatoms and for mixed vibrations of substrate atoms and adatoms polarized in the direction normal to the surface. Bibliography — 202 references.