2015/09/30 by Yuan Zhuang, Kai Zhang, Patrick Charbonneau
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Block Copolymer Self-Assembly #Chemical physics #Cluster (spacecraft) #Computer science #Condensed matter physics #Copolymer #Frustration #Gyroid #Lamellar structure #Material Dynamics and Properties #Materials science #Monte Carlo method #Phase (matter) #Phase diagram #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Range (aeronautics) #Statistical physics #Theoretical and Computational Physics #cond-mat.soft #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.116.098301
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 098301 (2016) · 13 pages, 8 figures
openalex publication_date 2016/02/29 · arxiv created 2016/03/02 · arxiv updated 2016/03/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Periodic microphases universally emerge in systems for which short-range interparticle attraction is frustrated by long-range repulsion. The morphological richness of these phases makes them desirable material targets, but our relatively coarse understanding of even simple models hinders controlling their assembly. We report here the solution of the equilibrium phase behavior of a microscopic microphase former through specialized Monte Carlo simulations. The results for cluster crystal, cylindrical, double gyroid, and lamellar ordering qualitatively agree with a Landau-type free energy description and reveal the nontrivial interplay between cluster, gel, and microphase formation.