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Domain and Counter-Domain Defects in Competing Lattices on Spherical Surfaces

When hexagonal and square crystalline order have comparable energy, soft particles confined to a sphere phase-separate into competing lattice domains whose curved boundaries, dictated by the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, force nested counter-domains of the opposing lattice. This condensed-matter/soft-matter result classifies the disclination and scar patterns and compound winding numbers of these domain and counter-domain defects.

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Competing Hexagonal and Square Lattices on a Spherical Surface Han Xie,†,‡ Wenyu Liu,† Zhenyue Lu,†

Using molecular-dynamics simulations of soft-core (Hertzian) particles confined to a spherical surface, this work shows that near the density where hexagonal and square crystalline order have nearly …