Variable-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy is used to study an order-order phase transition in a virtually defect-free quasi-one-dimensional surface system. The phase transition is driven by competing electronic interactions. The phase diagram is captured by a modified Landau formalism containing a coupling term between two different subsystems. The extra term has the effect of a spontaneously generated field which drives the phase transition. The proposed formalism applies to a variety of problems, where competing interactions produce sometimes counter-intuitive ordering phenomena. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2010
Phase transitions driven by competing interactions in low-dimensional systems / Cordin M; Lechner BAJ; Amann P; Menzel A; Bertel E; FRANCHINI, CESARE; Zucca R; Redinger J; Baranov M; Diehl S.. - In: EUROPHYSICS LETTERS. - ISSN 0295-5075. - STAMPA. - 92:2(2010), pp. 1-5. [10.1209/0295-5075/92/26004]
Phase transitions driven by competing interactions in low-dimensional systems
FRANCHINI, CESAREMembro del Collaboration Group
;
2010
Abstract
Variable-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy is used to study an order-order phase transition in a virtually defect-free quasi-one-dimensional surface system. The phase transition is driven by competing electronic interactions. The phase diagram is captured by a modified Landau formalism containing a coupling term between two different subsystems. The extra term has the effect of a spontaneously generated field which drives the phase transition. The proposed formalism applies to a variety of problems, where competing interactions produce sometimes counter-intuitive ordering phenomena. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2010I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
