Abstract

We present a detailed study of the energy losses of hydrogen ions that are scattered off an Ag(110) single-crystal surface for primary energies between 1 and 4 keV. We performed measurements for grazing angles as a function of crystal azimuthal orientation, which show large differences in energy losses. Experimental results are discussed by means of trajectory calculations of protons scattered under grazing-incidence conditions on the surface. Using nonlinear models for the stopping power, ab initio crystal structure calculations of the electronic density, and semiclassical simulations, we obtain data that are in very good agreement with experimental results. These simulations allow us to properly take into account the variations of the surface electronic density and hence obtain an accurate description of the energy loss processes for ion scattering along various azimuthal orientations of the target. © 2008 The American Physical Society.