Statistical Mechanics of Low Angle Grain Boundaries in Two Dimensions

Grace H. Zhang and David R. Nelson
Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 215503 – Published 20 November 2020
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Abstract

We explore order in low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) embedded in a two-dimensional crystal at thermal equilibrium. Symmetric LAGBs subject to a Peierls potential undergo, with increasing temperatures, a thermal depinning transition; above which, the LAGB exhibits transverse fluctuations that grow logarithmically with interdislocation distance. Longitudinal fluctuations lead to a series of melting transitions marked by the sequential disappearance of diverging algebraic Bragg peaks with universal critical exponents. Aspects of our theory are checked by a mapping onto random matrix theory.

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  • Received 7 September 2020
  • Revised 17 October 2020
  • Accepted 23 October 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.215503

© 2020 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Statistical Physics & ThermodynamicsCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsPolymers & Soft Matter

Authors & Affiliations

Grace H. Zhang and David R. Nelson

  • Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

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Vol. 125, Iss. 21 — 20 November 2020

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