Coupled Modulated Bilayers

TL;DR

This paper models the coupling mechanisms in bilayer systems with spatially modulated monolayers, analyzing phase stability and pattern formation through mean-field theory and numerical simulations, revealing complex incommensurate structures.

Contribution

It introduces a mean-field model for coupled modulated bilayers and explores phase diagrams and pattern formation, including effects of incommensurate wavelengths.

Findings

Coupling induces similar periodic structures in both monolayers.

Various stable phase combinations are identified.

Complex patterns emerge from incommensurate wavelength frustration.

Abstract

We propose a model addressing the coupling mechanism between two spatially modulated monolayers. We obtain the mean-field phase diagrams of coupled bilayers when the two monolayers have the same preferred modulation wavelength. Various combinations of the monolayer modulated phases are obtained and their relative stability is calculated. Due to the coupling, a spatial modulation in one of the monolayers induces a similar periodic structure in the second one. We have also performed numerical simulations for the case when the two monolayers have different modulation wavelengths. Complex patterns may arise from the frustration between the two incommensurate but annealed structures.