Eur. Phys. J. B 1, 385-391 (1998)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050198

Critical phenomena at perfect and non-perfect surfaces

Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Hochschule, 52056 Aachen, Germany

Corresponding authors: ^a pleim@physik.rwth-aachen.de - ^b selke@physik.rwth-aachen.de

Received: 7 October 1997
Accepted: 19 November 1997
Published online: 15 February 1998

Abstract

The effect of imperfections on surface critical properties is studied for Ising models with nearest-neighbour ferromagnetic couplings on simple cubic lattices. In particular, results of Monte Carlo simulations for flat, perfect surfaces are compared to those for flat surfaces with random, "weak" or "strong" , interactions between neighbouring spins in the surface layer, and for surfaces with steps of monoatomic height. Surface critical exponents at the ordinary transition, in particular , are found to be robust against these perturbations.