Defect mediated coarsening of colloidal crystals on a cylinder

ORAL

Abstract

We perform Brownian dynamics simulations to investigate how geometrically stabilized defects in colloidal crytals on a cylindrical surface facilitate the approach to equilibrium. At intermediate times, a patchwork emerges of grains that generically exhibit vacancy-roughened helical line-slip defects, resulting in an ensemble of crystallites distinct from what is observed in the growth of crystals on planar surfaces. Interfaces between adjacent crystal grains typically exhibit a characteristic notch at the point of intersection with the line slip defect; this acts as a source for excitations of the line slip defect, coupling interfacial relaxation on opposite ends of each crystallite.

*This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through the Harvard Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (DMR-1420570)

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Presenters

  • William Wilkin

    • Harvard University

Authors

  • William Wilkin

    • Harvard University

  • Nabila Tanjeem

    • Harvard University

  • Vinothan N Manoharan

    • Harvard University
    • Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Christopher Rycroft

    • SEAS, Harvard University
    • Harvard University
    • Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University