ABSTRACT
Until now, we have been considering mostly three-dimensional systems and ignoring surfaces. A surface is a plane of atomic sites where a crystal terminates. When a crystal meets a plane of another crystal, the plane is called an interface. Surfaces and interfaces play an important role in physics, chemistry, and materials science and form a rich field of study that has been growing very fast. Surfaces and interfaces are two-dimensional systems that provide an ideal platform to study physics in two dimensions such as quantum Hall effects, melting transition, etc. Also, they are important from a practical point of view and play a vital role in technological applications such as microelectronics, catalysis, corrosion, lubrication, and photography.
