A Moire Superstructure Model of Si(111)-√7×√3-In Surface

Using ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory, we propose a new atomic-scale model (2.429-ML model) for the experimentally observed superstructure of the Si(111)-√7×√3-In surface. This model successfully explains the long-range images observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments and the band structure obtained by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments. Our new model is more valid than the previous 2.4-ML model which only reproduced ARPES experiments, and provides a basis for applied studies of this surface. We also show that the arrangement of bright spots in the STM image can be seen as a beat pattern, i.e., one-dimensional moiré.