Two-Stage Melting of a Two-Dimensional Collodial Lattice with Dipole Interactions

R. E. Kusner; J. A. Mann; J. Kerins; A. J. Dahm

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.73.3113

Two-Stage Melting of a Two-Dimensional Collodial Lattice with Dipole Interactions

R. E. Kusner, J. A. Mann, J. Kerins, and A. J. Dahm

Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 3113 – Published 5 December 1994

Abstract

Two-stage melting is observed in a confined monolayer of colloidal particles with dipole interactions. The defects observed are consistent with those predicted for the crystal, hexatic, and fluid phases. The bond-orientational correlation function shows a clear hexatic-to-fluid transition, and the ensemble's potential energy shows no obvious discontinuity around either transition.

Received 6 October 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.73.3113

Authors & Affiliations

R. E. Kusner^1,*, J. A. Mann², J. Kerins³, and A. J. Dahm¹

¹Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
²Department of Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
³British Petroleum American Research and Environmental Science Center, Warrensville Center, Ohio 44128