Hexatic Phase in Covalent Two-Dimensional Silver Iodide
Materials Science
2025-12-09 v3 Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Abstract
According to the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young (KTHNY) theory, the transition from a solid to liquid in two dimensions proceeds through an orientationally ordered liquid-like hexatic phase. However, alternative mixed melting scenarios, in which melting proceeds through the hexatic phase with both continuous and discontinuous transitions, have also been observed in some two-dimensional systems. In this study, we imaged silver iodide embedded in multilayer graphene using time- and temperature-resolved in situ atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and nanobeam electron diffraction. We observed the hexatic phase and provide evidence supporting a mixed melting scenario.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2501.05759,
title = {Hexatic Phase in Covalent Two-Dimensional Silver Iodide},
author = {Thuy An Bui and David Lamprecht and Jacob Madsen and Marcin Kurpas and Peter Kotrusz and Alexander Markevich and Clemens Mangler and Jani Kotakoski and Lado Filipovic and Jannik C. Meyer and Timothy J. Pennycook and Viera Skakalova and Kimmo Mustonen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.05759},
year = {2025}
}