On the competition between interface energy and temperature in phase transition phenomena

Abstract

Phase nucleation and propagation phenomena can be characterized by a cooperative behavior regulated by non local interactions between the multistable domains and with the loading device. Cooperativity is often macroscopically witnessed by a stress-peak, distinguishing the nucleation from the propagation stress, and by a larger size of the first nucleated domain. When low dimensional scales are considered, both in nanostructures or single molecule behaviors, the interfacial energy can compete with entropic effects, leading to the experimental observation of a temperature dependent phase transition strategy. We propose a fully analytical model, in the framework of equilibrium Statistical Mechanics, measuring such energetic competition and temperature dependent behavior, that well reproduces important experimental evidences. The effectiveness of the model is successfully tested in predicting the temperature dependent phase transition behavior of shape memory nanowires.