Colloidal crystal growth at externally imposed nucleation clusters.
We study the conditions under which and how an imposed cluster of fixed colloidal particles at prescribed positions triggers crystal nucleation from a metastable colloidal fluid. Dynamical density functional theory of freezing and Brownian dynamics simulations are applied to a two-dimensional colloidal system with dipolar interactions. The externally imposed nucleation clusters involve colloidal particles either on a rhombic lattice or along two linear arrays separated by a gap. Crystal growth occurs after the peaks of the nucleation cluster have first relaxed to a cutout of the stable bulk crystal.
van Teeffelen
Sven
S
Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. teeffelen@thphy.uni-duesseldorf.de
Likos
Christos N
CN
Löwen
Hartmut
H
D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D008956:Models, Chemical
D003102:Colloids