Elastic Interaction of Nanostructures

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

9988597 The nature of the transition from the nanoscale to the continuum will be specifically examined in an effort to obtain a quasi-continuum formulation. Many thin-film/substrate systems initially grow in a two-dimensional (2D) or atomically flat mode but eventually undergo a roughening transition, yielding three-dimensional (3D) islands on the top of the 2D layers. A research program that combines theory and numerical simulations is planned. Its goal is to obtain a quantitatively accurate picture of the elastic field in the vicinity of surface defects and their elastic interactions. It is necessary that the problem be addressed at both the continuum and atomic (discrete) scale. The predictions of continuum models should be accurate, as long as the distance between defects remains sufficiently large (long-range interaction). As the separation distance between interacting defects diminishes, the atomic/continuum approaches diverge and the necessity of a lattice model becomes apparent. The short-range interaction of defects cannot be determined without a discrete elastic model.