INDUCED INTERFACES AT NANOSCALES: STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS

Abstract

We show how interfaces may be induced in materials using external fields. The structure and the dynamics of these interfaces may then be manipulated externally to achieve desired properties. We discuss three types of such interfaces: an Ising interface in a nonuniform magnetic field, a solid–liquid interface and an interface between a solid and a smectic like phase. In all of these cases we explicitly show how small size, leading to atomic-scale discreteness and stiff constraints produce interesting effects which may have applications in the fabrication of nanostructured materials.