Complex behavior in glassforming liquids is associated with formation of a mosaic of different structures. Using bond order parameters together with topological characteristics of the bond network, we show that in the mosaic of crystalline and amorphous clusters found in a 2D liquid the difference between structural sub- components translates into a difference between two coexisting phases. We suggest that the observed microphase separated mosaic is a 2D realization of what is usually invoked to explain special features found in 3D complex liquids. Conditions favoring mosaic stability are discussed; these conditions include a new type of critical behavior and long-range correlations between sub-component clusters.
@article{arxiv.1305.1948,
title = {Microphase separation as the cause of structural complexity in 2D liquids},
author = {Alexander Z. Patashinski and Mark A. Ratner and Bartosz A. Grzybowski and Rafal Orlik and Antoni C. Mitus},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1305.1948},
year = {2013}
}