Correlational switching between 3 × 1 and 6 × 1 surface reconstructions on Si(111) with submonolayer Ag adsorption

Abstract Electron correlations are strongly enhanced in low-dimensional systems. Taking correlations as the dominant mechanism, we provide an explanation of the recently observed electrostatically enforced structural phase transition (3 × 1 to 6 × 1) on a Si(111) surface with submonolayer Ag adsorption.