title: Orientationally correlated colloidal polycrystals without long-range positional order.
abstract: We probe the local and global structure of spin-coated colloidal crystals via laser diffraction measurements and scanning electron and atomic force microscopies, and find that they are unique three-dimensional orientationally correlated polycrystals, exhibiting short-range positional order but long-range radial orientational correlations, reminiscent of-but distinct from-two-dimensional colloidal hexatic phases. Thickness and symmetries are controllable by solvent choice and spin speed. While the polycrystallinity of these colloidal films limits their applicability to photonics, we demonstrate their feasibility as templates to make crack-free magnetic patterns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X7.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arcos
authors.forename: Kitty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Wenceslao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: González-Viñas
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sirera
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Poduska
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yethiraj