N. Garcia et Pa. Serena, QUANTUM EFFECTS ON THE STEP INTERACTION ENERGY AND THE EQUILIBRIUM SHAPE OF CRYSTALS, Surface science, 330(1), 1995, pp. 665-667
This paper shows that, due to quantum effects associated with surface
states forming standing waves at steps surfaces, the leading term of t
he surface steps interaction energy near to a facet goes like p(2), wh
ere p is the surface slope. This term dominates over the p(3) contribu
tion of the existing theoretical model predictions and therefore the e
quilibrium shape of the crystal near the flat surface of size x(0) is
not singular but goes like (x - x(0))(2).