H. Ishida et A. Liebsch, LINEAR AND NONLINEAR RESPONSE OF STEPPED METAL-SURFACES TO A STATIC ELECTRIC-FIELD, Surface science, 297(1), 1993, pp. 106-111
The linear and non-linear response of vicinal metal surfaces to a stat
ic electric field oriented normal to the surface is studied by perform
ing self-consistent density functional calculations. Regularly stepped
jellium surfaces corresponding to the electron density of Al are used
to model these surfaces. The normal component of the polarization vec
tor associated with the non-linear-induced charge is increased relativ
e to that of a flat jellium surface in proportion to the step density
up to very high densities. However, the magnitude of this enhancement
amounts to only approximately 15% at maximum.