TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT SURFACE FERMI CONTOURS - ORIGIN OF UNUSUAL SURFACE GEOMETRIES ON AG(111)

The well-known Shockley-type surface state observed in normal photoemi ssion from Ag(111) shifts linearly with temperature T and is located a bove the Fermi energy at T > 450 K. In consequence it gets partially e mpty at increasing T. We raise the question whether this is the reason for a surface reconstruction observed under particular electrochemica l conditions [Y. Tang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 2814 (1991)] and fo r an unusual surface relaxation reported recently [P. Statiris et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 3574 (1994)].