Cerium adatoms, deposited on a Ag(111) surface, are found by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy to self-assemble into large ordered hexagonal arrays covering macroscopically the entire surface. We show that the 32 A periodicity of the superlattice is caused by the interaction of surface-state electrons with Ce adatoms and that the large-scale formation of the superlattice is governed by a subtle balance between the sample temperature, the surface diffusion barrier, and the concentration-dependent adatom interaction potential.

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Electron scattering calculations by Martin are used to predict the magnitude of resistivity fluctuations in metal films arising from the fluctuating interference of electrons in the local environment of a moving defect. A "local-interference" model based on these calculations accounts for the 1/f-noise magnitude observed in irradiated Cu films and in room-temperature metal films.