Department of Physics Papers
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
5-20-2010
Abstract
We study melting mechanisms in single and polycrystalline colloidal films composed of diametertunable microgel spheres with short-ranged repulsive interactions and confined between two glass walls. Thick films (>4 layers), thin-films (≤4 layers), and monolayers exhibit different melting behaviors. Thick films melt from grain boundaries in polycrystalline solid films and from film-wall interfaces in single-crystal films; a liquid-solid coexistence regime is observed in thick films but vanishes at a critical thickness of 4 layers. Thin solid films (2 to 4 layers) melt into the liquid phase in one step from both grain boundaries and from within crystalline domains. Monolayers melt in two steps with a middle hexatic phase.
Date Posted: 08 November 2010
This document has been peer reviewed.
Comments
Suggested Citation:
Y. Peng, Z. Wang, A.M. Alsayed, A.G. Yodh and Y. Han. (2010). "Melting of Colloidal Crystal Films." Physical Review Letters 104, 205703.
© The American Physical Society
http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.205703