An entirely new, very general, atomically smooth, and optically symmetry-adapted reconstruction model for the Si(111)-7×7 surface is proposed. It consists of parallel rows of nontouching, $\pi$-bonded, hexagonal rings with center atoms and seems to be a realization of a static commensurate phase of a nonlinear lattice. An overwhelming number of experimental findings on the Si(111) surface finds an intuitive, simple, and natural explanation by the model.

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