Chiral surfaces self-assembling in one-component systems with isotropic interactions.
We show that chiral symmetry can be broken spontaneously in one-component systems with isotropic interactions, i.e., many-particle systems having maximal a priori symmetry. This is achieved by designing isotropic potentials that lead to self-assembly of chiral surfaces. We demonstrate the principle on a simple chiral lattice and on a more complex lattice with chiral supercells. In addition, we show that the complex lattice has interesting melting behavior with multiple morphologically distinct phases that we argue can be qualitatively predicted from the design of the interaction.
Complex Systems Group, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Göteborg, Sweden.
E
E
Edlund
O
O
Lindgren
M Nilsson
MN
Jacobi
D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D013237:Stereoisomerism