Multilayered crystals of macroions under slit-confinement

TL;DR

This paper investigates the ground state structures of macroions confined between parallel plates, revealing a sequence of multilayered crystal phases and solid-solid transitions as macroion density increases.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical analysis of multilayered macroion crystals under slit confinement, identifying multiple phase transitions and crystal structures.

Findings

Multiple multilayered crystal phases identified

Cascade of solid-solid transitions with increasing density

Structures include triangular, buckled, rhombic, and squared layers

Abstract

The crystalline ground state of macroions confined between two neutral parallel plates in the presence of their homogeneously spread counterions is calculated by lattice-sum minimization of candidate phases involving up to six layers. For increasing macroion density, a cascade of solid-solid transitions is found involving various multilayered crystals. The cascade includes triangular monolayer and buckled bilayer as well as rhombic, squared and triangular phase structures.