Self-assembly of lamella-forming diblock copolymers confined in nanochannels: Effect of confinement geometry

The self-assembly of symmetric diblock copolymers confined in the channels of variously shaped cross sections （regu- lar triangles, squares, and ellipses） is investigated using a simulated annealing technique. In the bulk, the studied symmetric diblock copolymers form a lamellar structure with period LL. The geometry and surface property of the confining channels have a large effect on the self-assembled structures and the orientation of the lamellar structures. Stacked perpendicular lamellae with period LL are observed for neutral surfaces regardless of the channel shape and size, but each lamella is in the shape of the corresponding channel＇s cross section. In the case of triangle-shaped cross sections, stacked parallel lamel- lae are the majority morphologies for weakly selective surfaces, while morphologies including a triangular-prism-shaped B-cylinder and multiple tridentate lamellae are obtained for strongly selective surfaces. In the cases of square-shaped and ellipse-shaped cross sections, concentric lamellae are the signature morphology for strongly selective surfaces, whereas for weakly selective surfaces, stacked parallel lamellae, and several types of folding lamellae are obtained in the case of square-shaped cross sections, and stacked parallel lamellae are the majority morphologies in the case of ellipse-shaped cross sections when the length of the minor axis is commensurate with the bulk lamellar period. The mean-square end- to-end distance, the average contact number between different species and the surface concentration of the A-monomers are computed to elucidate the mechanisms of the formation of the different morphologies. It is found that the resulting morphology is a consequence of competition among the chain stretching, interfacial energy, and surface energy. Our results suggest that the self-assembled morphology and the orientation of lamellae can be manipulated by the shape, the size, and the surface property of the confining channels.

Dynamics of a ±1/2 defect pair in a confined geometry:A thin hybrid aligned nematic cell

Confined geometry can change the defect structure and its properties.In this paper,we investigate numerically the dynamics of a dipole of ±1/2 parallel wedge disclination lines in a confined geometry：a thin hybrid aligned nematic（HAN） cell,based on the Landau-de Gennes theory.When the cell gap d is larger than a critical value of 12ξ（where ξis the characteristic length for order-parameter change）,the pair annihilates.A pure HAN configuration without defect is formed in an equilibrium state.In the confined geometry of d ≤ 12ξ,the diffusion process is discovered for the first time and an eigenvalue exchange configuration is formed in an equilibrium state.The eigenvalue exchange configuration is induced by different essential reasons.When 10ξ 〈 d ≤ 12ξ,the two defects coalesce and annihilate.The biaxial wall is created by the inhomogeneous distortion of the director,which results in the eigenvalue exchange configuration.When d≤ 10ξ,the defects do not collide and the eigenvalue exchange configuration originates from the biaxial seeds concentrated at the defects.

Rayleigh–Taylor instability at spherical interfaces of incompressible fluids

Rayleigh–Taylor instability（RTI） of three incompressible fluids with two interfaces in spherical geometry is derived analytically. The growth rate on the two interfaces and the perturbation feedthrough coefficients between two spherical interfaces are derived. For low-mode perturbation, the feedthrough effect from outer interface to inner interface is much more severe than the corresponding planar case, while the feedback from inner interface to the outer interface is smaller than that in planar geometry. The low-mode perturbations lead to the pronounced RTI growth on the inner interface of a spherical shell that are larger than the cylindrical and planar results. It is the low-mode perturbation that results in the difference between the RTI growth in spherical and cylindrical geometry. When the mode number of the perturbation is large enough, the results in cylindrical geometry are recovered.

The Damage Spreading Method in Monte Carlo Simulations:A Brief Overview and Applications to Confined Magnetic Materials

The Damage Spreading(DS)method allows the investigation of the effect caused by tiny perturbations,in the initial conditions of physical systems,on their final stationary or equilibrium states.The damage(D(t))is determined during the dynamic evolution of a physical system and measures the time dependence of the difference between a reference(unperturbed)configuration and an initially perturbed one.In this paper we first give a brief overview of Monte Carlo simulation results obtained by applying the DS method.Different model systems under study often exhibit a transition between a state where the damage becomes healed(the frozen phase)and a regime where the damage spreads arriving at a finite(stationary)value(the damaged phase),when a control parameter is finely tuned.These kinds of transitions are actually true irreversible phase transitions themselves,and the issue of their universality class is also discussed.Subsequently,the attention is focused on the propagation of damage in magnetic systems placed in confined geometries.The influence of interfaces between magnetic domains of different orientation on the spreading of the perturbation is also discussed,showing that the presence of interfaces enhances the propagation of the damage.Furthermore,the critical transition between propagation and nonpropagation of the damage is discussed.In all cases,the determined critical exponents suggest that the DS transition does not belong to the universality class of Directed Percolation,unlike many other systems exhibiting irreversible phase transitions.This result reflects the dramatic influence of interfaces on the propagation of perturbations in magnetic systems.

A review of geometry-confined perovskite morphologies:From synthesis to efficient optoelectronic applications

With the continuous study of metal halide perovskite,geometry-confined technologies have been widely applied to reduce the material dimensionality and to produce pre-designed structures,which can tune optical reflectance,scattering,and absorption,thereby optimizing the performance of perovskite-based optoelectronic devices and improving their commercial competitiveness.The morphologies of perovskite active layer play a pivotal role in optoelectronic properties and the resulting device performances.In this review,we systematically summarized recent progress in the preparation and manufacture of various perovskite geometry-confined morphologies,as well as their promising advances in different optoelectronic applications,including photodetectors,solar cells(SCs),lasers,and light-emitting diodes(LEDs).In addition,the remaining challenges and further improvements of preparation unique geometry-confined perovskite morphologies for next-generation high quality optoelectronic devices are discussed.