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http://hdl.handle.net/11375/27292
Title: | Ginzburg-Landau theory of complex spherical packing phases in soft condensed matter |
Authors: | Dawson, Sarah |
Advisor: | Shi, An-Chang |
Department: | Physics and Astronomy |
Keywords: | soft condensed matter physics |
Publication Date: | 2021 |
Abstract: | Stable Frank-Kasper spherical packing phases have been observed in a wide variety of soft-condensed matter systems, but the universality of these phases is not well understood. Recently, it was shown that the Frank-Kasper $\sigma$ and A15 phases are stable in the well-known Landau-Brazovskii (LB) model. In this work we consider the $\sigma$ and A15 phases, as well as the Laves C14 and C15 phases, and show that none of these is stable in the Ohta-Kawasaki (OK) model, which is another widely studied Ginzburg-Landau theory. The LB and OK models differ only in their quadratic coefficients. We conduct a thorough investigation of the role that this coefficient plays in stabilizing the complex phases. We uncover generic principles linking the functional form of the coefficient in reciprocal space with the stability of the complex phases. A Ginzburg-Landau theory for a for diblock copolymer system with a conformational asymmetry parameter is derived, but the complex phases are not found to be stable in this model. We also consider a Ginzburg-Landau theory for a system of hard spheres interacting via a pairwise short-range attractive, long-range repulsive (SALR) potential, and use our framework to demonstrate how the parameters in the potential influence the stability of the Frank-Kasper phases. Taken together, these results provide insight into the universal mechanisms that underlie the formation of the complex spherical packing phases in soft condensed matter. |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11375/27292 |
Appears in Collections: | Open Access Dissertations and Theses |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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Dawson_Sarah_202112_PhD.pdf | 25.92 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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