Abstract
We present a surface X-ray diffraction study of the {0 0 1} faces of
potassium dichromate crystals in a humid environment. An etch-resistant
layer develops in such an environment, which prevents the crystal from
etching in a low-solubility solution. This layer is shown to be amorphous
and is likely to be permeable for water molecules. The interface between
the crystal and the amorphous layer is atomically flat. The crystal surface
is not reconstructed, showing a potassium termination. The atomic structure
of the surface is influenced by the relative humidity (RH), at 40% RH the
top layer of molecules is expanded while at 100% RH these molecules are
compressed. A first indication is given of a structural difference between
the (0 0 1) and () faces, which is relevant for understanding the hypomorphism
exhibited by this system.