Novel surface universality classes with strong anisotropy

Abstract

Using renormalized field theory, we examine the dynamics of a growing surface, driven by an obliquely incident particle beam. Its projection on the reference (substrate) plane selects a ``parallel'' direction, so that the evolution equation for the surface height becomes anisotropic. The phase diagram of the model is controlled by the properties of an effective anisotropic surface tension. Our renormalization group analysis suggests the existence of a line of continuous transitions and a line of (potentially) first-order transitions, which meet at a multicritical point. The full scaling behavior for the continuous line and the multicritical point is discussed in detail. Two novel universality classes for scale-invariant surface fluctuations are found.

25 pages, 1 figure. Accepted by Journal of Physics A: Special Issue on Renormalization Group 2005