Solutions of the Fokker-Planck Equation Describing the Metastability of Surface Nanostructure Arrays

Abstract

We consider the coarsening of surface nanostructures using an approach based on the Fokker-Planck Equation. Gaussian-like metastable states are identified which naturally arise as a competition between chemical potential driven drift and thermal diffusive broadening of the island size distribution. This general feature is linked to positive gradients in island chemical potential vs. island size and has important implications for quantum dot self-organisation.