Single-phonon scattering from clean flat metal surfaces

In this paper we review the recent advances of the He atom scattering experiments and the theoretical interpretation of the time-of-flight (TOF) spectra relative to clean flat metal surfaces in the one-phonon regime. We discuss the atom-surface scattering mechanism, including the anomalies in the metal surface phonon spectrum and the details of the atom-surface interaction potential. In particular we focus the discussion on the anticorrugating effects in the TOF intensities.