title: Observation of condensed phases of quasiplanar core-softened colloids.
abstract: We experimentally study the condensed phases of repelling core-softened spheres in two dimensions. The dipolar pair repulsion between superparamagnetic spheres trapped in a thin cell is induced by a transverse magnetic field and softened by suitably adjusting the cell thickness. We scan a broad density range and we materialize a large part of the theoretically predicted phases in systems of core-softened particles, including expanded and close-packed hexagonal, square, chainlike, stripe or labyrinthine, and honeycomb phase. Further insight into their structure is provided by Monte Carlo simulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osterman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Poberaj
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dobnikar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ziherl
mesh_terms: D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008280:Magnetics; D008956:Models, Chemical
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids