Related papers: Elasticity of a polydisperse hard-sphere crystal
We report a numerical calculation of the elastic constants of the fcc and hcp crystal phases of monodisperse hard-sphere colloids. Surprisingly, some of these elastic constants are very different (up to 20%), even though the free energy,…
By extending the nonequilibrium potential refinement algorithm and lattice switch method to the semigrand ensemble, the semigrand potentials of the fcc and hcp structures of polydisperse hard-sphere crystals are calculated with the bias…
As is well known, hard-sphere crystals of the fcc and hcp type differ very little in their thermodynamic properties. Nonetheless, recent computer simulations by Pronk and Frenkel indicate that the elastic response to mechanical deformation…
Many materials of interest are polycrystals, i.e. aggregates of single crystals. Randomly distributed orientations of single crystals lead to macroscopically isotropic properties. Here, we briefly review strategies of calculating effective…
Unlike atoms, colloidal particles are not identical, but can only be synthesised within a finite size tolerance. Colloids are therefore polydisperse, i.e. mixtures of infinitely many components with sizes drawn from a continuous…
A general procedure to investigate the elastic response and calculate the elastic constants of stressed and unstressed materials through continuum field modeling, particularly the phase field crystal (PFC) models, is presented. It is found…
Elastic properties of soft, three-dimensional dimers, interacting through site-site n-inverse-power potential, are determined by computer simulations at zero temperature. The degenerate crystal of dimers exhibiting (Gaussian) size…
The elastic constants of solid \textit{hcp} $^4$He are investigated in molar volumes ranging from about melting up to approximately 14 MPa. Properties of interest are determined by averages formed from computed values in configurations…
The properties of crystals consisting of several components can be widely tuned. Often solid solutions are produced, where substitutional or interstitional disorder determines the crystal thermodynamic and mechanical properties. The…
The solid-solid coexistence of a polydisperse hard sphere system is studied by using the Monte Carlo simulation. The results show that for large enough polydispersity the solid-solid coexistence state is more stable than the single-phase…
We consider the consequences of keeping the total surface fixed for a polydisperse system of $N$ hard spheres. In contrast with a similar model (J. Zhang {\it et al.}, J. Chem. Phys. {\bf 110}, 5318 (1999)), the Percus-Yevick and Mansoori…
Monte-Carlo simulations and small-angle x-ray scattering experiments were used to determine the phase diagram of aqueous dispersions of titratable nano-colloids with a moderate size polydispersity over a broad range of monovalent salt…
We use specialized Monte Carlo simulation methods and moment free energy calculations to provide conclusive evidence that dense polydisperse spheres at equilibrium demix into coexisting fcc phases, with more phases appearing as the spread…
We study the interplay between the fluid-crystal transition and the glass transition of elastic sphere system with polydispersity using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the end point of the crystal-fluid…
We study the elastic properties of incommensurate solid 4He in the limit of zero temperature. Specifically, we calculate the pressure dependence of the five elastic constants (C11, C12, C13, C33, and C44), longitudinal and transversal…
A discrete model describing defects in crystal lattices and having the standard linear anisotropic elasticity as its continuum limit is proposed. The main ingredients entering the model are the elastic stiffness constants of the material…
We compute the equilibrium concentration of stacking faults and point defects in polydisperse hard-sphere crystals. We find that, while the concentration of stacking faults remains similar to that of monodisperse hard sphere crystals, the…
We use numerical simulations to understand how random deviations from the ideal spherical shape affect the ability of hard particles to form fcc crystalline structures. Using a system of hard spheres as a reference, we determine the…
Hard spheres with a polydispersity above approximately 8% are shown to crystallise into two phase-separated solid phases. A polydispersity above 8% is too large to be tolerated by a single solid phase but phase separation produces two…
In experimental systems, colloidal particles are virtually always at least somewhat polydisperse, which can have profound effects on their ability to crystallize. Unfortunately, accurately predicting the effects of polydispersity on phase…