Nonlinear dynamics of layer growth and consequences for protein crystal perfection

In situ high-resolution optical interferometry of lysozyme crystal growth reveals that under steady external conditions, the local growth rate R, vicinal slope p and step velocity are not steady but fluctuate by several times their average values. The variations in p, which is proportional to the local step density, indicate that these fluctuations occur through the dynamic formation of step bunches. Our previous work with unstirred solutions...