Abstract
Metastable phases may be spontaneously formed from other metastable phases through nucleation. Here we demonstrate the spontaneous formation of a metastable phase from an unstable equilibrium by spinodal decomposition, which leads to a transient coexistence of stable and metastable phases. This phenomenon is generic within the recently introduced scenario of the landscape-inversion phase transitions, which we experimentally realize as a structural transition in a colloidal crystal. This transition exhibits a rich repertoire of new phase-ordering phenomena, including the coexistence of two equilibrium phases connected by two physically different interfaces. In addition, this scenario enables the control of sizes and lifetimes of metastable domains. Our findings open a new setting that broadens the fundamental understanding of phase-ordering kinetics, and yield new prospects of applications in materials science.
Highlights
Metastable phases may be spontaneously formed from other metastable phases through nucleation
If the quench is such that the initial phase is in unstable equilibrium, new equilibrium phases are spontaneously generated by the relaxation dynamics
We predict and experimentally verify the direct, spontaneous formation of a metastable equilibrium phase upon a quench into an unstable equilibrium. This phenomenon is observed in a solid–solid transition of a two-dimensional (2D) colloidal crystal made of paramagnetic particles
Summary
Metastable phases may be spontaneously formed from other metastable phases through nucleation. We demonstrate the spontaneous formation of a metastable phase from an unstable equilibrium by spinodal decomposition, which leads to a transient coexistence of stable and metastable phases This phenomenon is generic within the recently introduced scenario of the landscape-inversion phase transitions, which we experimentally realize as a structural transition in a colloidal crystal. If the quench is such that the initial phase is in unstable equilibrium, new equilibrium phases are spontaneously generated by the relaxation dynamics By this process, known as spinodal decomposition, infinitesimal fluctuations directly grow to give rise to domains of the final coexisting phases[2,3,4,5]. Diffusive nucleation was only recently observed in colloidal crystals, in the form of a two-stage, liquid-mediated process[14,15] that was later found in a metal[16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
