Glassy phases and driven response of the phase-field-crystal model with random pinning

We study the structural correlations and the nonlinear response to a driving force of a two-dimensional phase-field-crystal model with random pinning. The model provides an effective continuous description of lattice systems in the presence of disordered external pinning centers, allowing for both e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics, 2011-09, Vol.84 (3 Pt 1), p.031102-031102, Article 031102
Main Authors: Granato, E, Ramos, J A P, Achim, C V, Lehikoinen, J, Ying, S C, Ala-Nissila, T, Elder, K R
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We study the structural correlations and the nonlinear response to a driving force of a two-dimensional phase-field-crystal model with random pinning. The model provides an effective continuous description of lattice systems in the presence of disordered external pinning centers, allowing for both elastic and plastic deformations. We find that the phase-field crystal with disorder assumes an amorphous glassy ground state, with only short-ranged positional and orientational correlations, even in the limit of weak disorder. Under increasing driving force, the pinned amorphous-glass phase evolves into a moving plastic-flow phase and then, finally, a moving smectic phase. The transverse response of the moving smectic phase shows a vanishing transverse critical force for increasing system sizes.
ISSN:1539-3755
1550-2376
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevE.84.031102