Double-segregation effect inAgxPd1−x∕Ru(0001)thin film nanostructures

We study the structural properties of ultrathin ${\mathrm{Ag}}_{x}{\mathrm{Pd}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$ films on top of a Ru(0001) substrate. Effective interatomic interactions, obtained from first-principles calculations, have been used in Monte Carlo simulations to derive the distribution of the alloy components in a four-monolayer (4-ML) Ag-Pd film. Though Ag-Pd alloys show complete solubility in the bulk, the thin film geometry leads to a pronounced segregation between Ag and Pd atoms with a strong preference of Ag atoms toward the surface and Pd atoms toward the interface. The theoretical prediction of this double-segregation effect is strongly supported by photoelectron spectroscopy experiments carried out for 4-ML thin films. We also show, in an additional experiment, that even in the case where initially 1 ML Ag is buried under 6 ML Pd, the whole Ag ML segregates to the surface.