Layer-by-layer intercalation of potassium into the graphite (0 0 0 1) surface

Exposure of an atomically clean but high step density (0 0 0 1) graphite surface to a hot potassium beam results in intercalation of the potassium into the graphite. It has been determined by low energy electron diffraction (LEED) that the single crystal surface has undergone shear displacement at the surface of the top layers to form an K|A|K|A|K… stacking with the surface localized potassium in a disordered state. The intercalation is observed to proceed in a layer-by-layer manner as a function of potassium beam exposures.