Phase Transition on Mo(100) and W(100) Surfaces

Low-energy-electron-diffraction studies of carefully cleaned and annealed surfaces of molybdenum (100) and tungsten (100) show that a phase transition can be induced by lowering the temperature below 300 K. The periodicity of the "reconstructed" surface is believed to be due to the formation of a displacement wave with a wavelength which is $2a$ (a is the lattice parameter) for W(100) and ~2.2a for Mo(100). The phase transition is reversible and seemingly second order. It appears possible that displacements of this type also occur in chemisorption on these surfaces.