Distinctive fluctuations in a confined geometry

Spurred by recent theoretical predictions [Phys. Rev. E 69, 035102(R) (2004)PLEEE81063-651X10.1103/PhysRevE.69.035102; Surf. Sci. Lett. 598, L355 (2005)SUSCAS0039-602810.1016/j.susc.2005.09.023], we find experimentally using STM line scans that the fluctuations of the step bounding a facet exhibit scaling properties distinct from those of isolated steps or steps on vicinal surfaces. The correlation functions go as t0.15±0.03 decidedly different from the t0.26±0.02 behavior for fluctuations of isolated steps. From the exponents, we categorize the universality, confirming the prediction that the nonlinear term of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation, long known to play a central role in nonequilibrium phenomena, can also arise from the curvature or potential-asymmetry contribution to the step free energy.