  Atomic-scale smooth thin films are essential components for the successful
integration and proper function of many multilayer-structured devices. However,
such ultrasmooth films are often difficult to realize due to the intrinsic
island-like growth mode in many cases. In this letter we propose a negative
entropy-infusing method that employs an evanescent wave to transform the
island-like growth mode to a layer-by-layer growth mode. The underlying
mechanism involves a lowering of the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier by the
polarization force from the evanescent wave field, as demonstrated by
theoretical calculations in combination with density functional theory (DFT)
and Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations.
