Wedge filling and interface delocalization in finite Ising lattices with antisymmetric surface fields.
Theoretical predictions by Parry et al. for wetting phenomena in a wedge geometry are tested by Monte Carlo simulations. Simple cubic LxLxL(y) Ising lattices with nearest neighbor ferromagnetic exchange and four free LxL(y) surfaces, at which antisymmetric surface fields +/-H(s) act, are studied for a wide range of linear dimensions (4</=L</=320, 30</=L(y)</=1000), in an attempt to clarify finite size effects on the wedge filling transition in this "double-wedge" geometry. Interpreting the Ising model as a lattice gas, the problem is equivalent to a liquid-gas transition in a pore with quadratic cross section, where two walls favor the liquid and the other two walls favor the gas. For temperatures T below the bulk critical temperature T(c) this boundary condition (where periodic boundary conditions are used in the y direction along the wedges) leads to the formation of two domains with oppositely oriented magnetization and separated by an interface. For L,L(y)--> infinity and T larger than the filling transition temperature T(f)(H(s)), this interface runs from the one wedge where the surface planes with a different sign of the surface field meet (on average) straight to the opposite wedge, so that the average magnetization of the system is zero. For T<T(f)(H(s)), however, this interface is bound either to the wedge where the two surfaces with field -H(s) meet (then the total magnetization m of the system is positive) or to the opposite wedge (then m<0). The distance l(0) of the interface midpoint from the wedges is studied as T-->T(f)(H(s)) from below, as is the corresponding behavior of the magnetization and its moments. We consider the variation of l(0) for T>T(f)(H(s)) as a function of a bulk field and find that the associated exponents agree with theoretical predictions. The correlation length xi(y) in the y direction along the wedges is also studied, and we find no transition for finite L and L(y)--> infinity. For L--> infinity the prediction l(0) proportional, variant (H(sc)-H(s))(-1/4) is verified, where H(sc)(T) is the inverse function of T(f)(H(s)) and xi(y) proportional, variant (H(sc)-H(s))(-3/4), respectively. We also find that m vanishes discontinuously at the filling transition. When the corresponding wetting transition is first order we also obtain a first-order filling transition.
Milchev
Andrey
A
Institute for Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Müller
M
M
Binder
K
K
Landau
D P
DP