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Phase Coexistence in Nanoscopically Thin Films Confined by Asymmetric Walls

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Abstract

Thin Ising films with nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic exchange in a bulk magnetic field H are studied in a L×L×D geometry, where at the opposite walls, given by the L×L surfaces, local magnetic fields H 1, and H D act. While in previous work, the symmetric case H 1=H D (leading to “capillary condensation”, when one applies the lattice gas terminology) as well as the antisymmetric case H 1=−H D (leading to “interface localization transitions”) were studied, we focus here on the general ‘asymmetric’ case. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out and analyses based on thermodynamic integration methods are used to establish the phase diagrams and study the properties of the coexisting phases. A discussion is given why for the range of thicknesses that is explored (16≤D≤80 lattice spacings) this is the most suitable methodology. Restricting attention to cases where in the semi-infinite system a first-order wetting transition occurs, it is shown that the latter, due to confinement, is turned in a thin-film triple point. Above the triple point, narrow two-phase coexistence curves are found, which are the analog of prewetting transitions in the semi-infinite system. A comparison to related results for (symmetrical) polymer blends and (asymmetric) colloid-polymer mixtures is made.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), CCT La Plata, CONICET, UNLP, Casilla de Correo 16, Sucursal 4, 1900, La Plata, Argentina

    Ezequiel V. Albano

  2. Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Staudinger Weg 7, 55099, Mainz, Germany

    Kurt Binder

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  1. Ezequiel V. Albano
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  2. Kurt Binder
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Correspondence to Kurt Binder.

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Albano, E.V., Binder, K. Phase Coexistence in Nanoscopically Thin Films Confined by Asymmetric Walls. J Stat Phys 135, 991–1008 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-009-9710-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-009-9710-8

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