  The effect that an additional energy barrier E_{kr} for step adatoms moving
around kinks has on equilibrium step edge fluctuations is explored using
scaling arguments and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. When mass transport is
through step edge diffusion, the time correlation function of the step
fluctuations behaves as C(t) = A(T) t^{1/4}. At low temperatures the prefactor
A(T) shows Arrhenius behavior with an activation energy (E_{det} + 3 epsilon)/4
if E_{kr} < epsilon and (E_{det} + E_{kr} + 2 epsilon)/4 if E_{kr} > epsilon,
where epsilon is the kink energy and E_{det} is the barrier for detachment of a
step adatom from a kink. We point out that the assumption of an Einstein
relation for step edge diffusion has lead to an incorrect interpretation of
step fluctuation experiments, and explain why such a relation does not hold.
The theory is applied to experimental results on Pt(111) and Cu(100).
