Entropy and kinetics of point defects in two-dimensional dipolar crystals

Author(s)
Wolfgang Lechner, David Polster, Georg Maret, Christoph Dellago, Peter Keim
Abstract

We study in experiment and with computer simulation the free energy and the kinetics of vacancy and interstitial defects in two-dimensional dipolar crystals. The defects appear in different local topologies, which we characterize by their point group symmetry; Cn is the n-fold cyclic group and D-n is the dihedral group, including reflections. The frequency of different local topologies is not determined by their almost degenerate energies but is dominated by entropy for symmetric configurations. The kinetics of the defects is fully reproduced by a master equation in a multistate Markov model. In this model, the system is described by the state of the defect and the time evolution is given by transitions occurring with particular rates. These transition rate constants are extracted from experiments and simulations using an optimization procedure. The good agreement between experiment, simulation, and master equation thus provides evidence for the accuracy of the model.

Organisation(s)
Department for Teacher Education, Computational and Soft Matter Physics
External organisation(s)
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW), Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, Universität Konstanz
Journal
Physical Review E
Volume
91
No. of pages
9
ISSN
1539-3755
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.91.032304
Publication date
03-2015
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103015 Condensed matter, 103029 Statistical physics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Condensed Matter Physics, Statistical and Nonlinear Physics, Statistics and Probability
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/898c6ed0-9d6e-406a-93b1-02f6428f2f4c