Effect of confinement on charge-stabilized colloidal suspensions between two charged plates

We study the effect of confinement on the phase behavior of a charge-stabilized colloidal suspension between two parallel charged plates. The electrostatic interaction of the counterions with the plates induces density inhomogeneity of the counterions. Our Monte Carlo simulations show that the external potential acting on the colloidal particles due to this inhomogeneity inhibits the precrystallization tendency, a prediction that can be verified in experiments. Our mean-field theory qualitatively accounts for the tendency to inhibit the precrystallization.