Structure formation of a layer of adatoms on a quasicrystalline substrate: Molecular dynamics study

We study the formation of structure when a layer of adatoms is deposited onto a substrate with quasicrystalline order. Molecular dynamics calculations with simulated annealing show that the adsorbate layer forms ordered domains whose orientation is determined by the underlying substrate symmetry. The domain size is found to depend on the relative strength of the adatom interactions with each other and the substrate, as well as the cooling rate of the growing film. These results are consistent with our earlier low-energy electron diffraction studies of Al grown on the decagonal surface of an Al-Co-Ni quasicrystal.