Colloidal glass transition observed in confinement.
We study a colloidal suspension confined between two quasiparallel walls as a model system for glass transitions in confined geometries. The suspension is a mixture of two particle sizes to prevent wall-induced crystallization. We use confocal microscopy to directly observe the motion of colloidal particles. This motion is slower in confinement, thus producing glassy behavior in a sample which is a liquid in an unconfined geometry. For higher volume fraction samples (closer to the glass transition), the onset of confinement effects occurs at larger length scales.
Nugent
Carolyn R
CR
Physics Department, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Edmond
Kazem V
KV
Patel
Hetal N
HN
Weeks
Eric R
ER