Wetting phenomena in bcc binary alloys

TL;DR

This paper investigates how surface orientation affects wetting behavior in bcc binary alloys using a lattice model and Ginzburg-Landau theory, revealing surface-induced wetting phenomena below the critical temperature.

Contribution

It introduces a semi-infinite lattice model with an effective surface field for symmetry-breaking orientations and calculates the wetting phase diagram using a derived continuum approach.

Findings

Wetting phenomena occur below the critical temperature due to surface orientation effects.

Surface orientation generates an effective ordering field influencing wetting behavior.

The wetting phase diagram is quantitatively characterized.

Abstract

We study the influence of the surface orientation on the wetting behavior of bcc binary alloys, using a semi-infinite lattice model equivalent to a nearest-neighbor Ising antiferromagnet in an external field. The salient feature of the model is the generation of an ``effective'' ordering surface field for symmetry-breaking surface orientations like (100). Such a field couples to the local order parameter at the surface and leads to the occurrence of wetting phenomena below the critical temperature T_c. Utilizing a Ginzburg-Landau continuum model which has been derived earlier from the lattice mean-field theory, the wetting phase diagram is calculated.