Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 26, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Optical anisotropy of the SiC((001))- (3x2) surface: evidence for the two-adlayer asymmetric-dimer model
1Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202, USA.
Abstract:
The structure of the ( 3x2) reconstruction of beta-SiC(001) surface has been identified by comparing reflectance anisotropy spectra calculated from first principles with recent measurements. Only the calculations for the two-adlayer asymmetric-dimer model agree with experiment. The two prominent peaks at 3.6 and 5.0 eV found experimentally are assigned to electronic transitions between surface and bulklike electronic states. A further pronounced anisotropy at 2.0 eV, due to transitions between surface states, is predicted.

