Two-dimensional liquid crystalline growth within a phase-field-crystal model

Abstract

By using a phase-field crystal (PFC) model, the liquid-crystal growth of the plastic triangular phase is simulated with emphasis on crystal shape and topological defect formation. The equilibrium shape of a plastic triangular crystal (PTC) grown from a isotropic phase is compared with that grown from a columnar/smectic A (CSA) phase. While the shape of a PTC nucleus in the isotropic phase is almost identical to that of a classical PFC model, the shape of a PTC nucleus in CSA is affected by the orientation of stripes in the CSA phase, and irregular hexagonal, elliptical, octagonal, and rectangular shapes are obtained. Concerning the dynamics of the growth process we analyse the topological structure of the nematic-order, which starts from nucleation of + disclinations. It is found that the orientational and the positional order do not evolve simultaneously, the orientational order evolves behind the positional order, leading to a large transition zone, which can span over several lattice spacings.

Classical dynamical density functional theory: from fundamentals to applications

“…[585,678]. The nematic tensor Q ij can also be included as an order parameter in PFC models [679,680]. An "anisotropic phase field crystal model" for condensed matter systems built from oriented nonspherical particles, proposed by Prieler et al [681] (see also Ref.…”