Arrested states in colloidal fluids with competing interactions: A static replica study

We present the first systematic application of the integral equation implementation of the replica method to the study of arrested states in fluids with microscopic competing interactions (short-range attractive and long-range repulsive, SALR), as exemplified by the prototype Lennard-Jones-Yukawa model. Using a wide set of potential parameters, we provide as many as 11 different phase diagrams on the density (ρ)-temperature (T) plane, embodying both the cluster-phase boundary, TC(ρ), and the locus below which arrest takes place, TD(ρ). We describe how the interplay between TC and TD-with the former falling on top of the other, or the other way around, depending on thermodynamic conditions and potential parameters-gives rise to a rich variety of non-ergodic states interspersed with ergodic ones, of which both the building blocks are clusters or single particles. In a few cases, we find that the TD locus does not extend all over the density range subtended by the TC envelope; under these conditions, the λ-line is within reach of the cluster fluid, with the ensuing possibility to develop ordered microphases. Whenever a comparison is possible, our predictions favorably agree with previous numerical results. Thereby, we demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of our scheme to provide a unified theoretical framework for the study of arrested states in SALR fluids, irrespective of their nature.

Glass quantization of the Gaussian core model

We use the replica method to study the dynamical glass transition of the Gaussian core model, a system of ultrasoft repulsive spheres interacting via a Gaussian potential, focusing on low temperatures and low-to-moderate densities. At constant temperature, an amorphous glassy state is entered upon a first compression but this glass melts as the density is further increased. In addition to this reentrant transition, a second, smooth transition is discovered between a continuous and a discretized glass. The properties of the former are continuous functions of temperatures, whereas the latter exhibits a succession of stripes, characterized by discontinuous jumps of the glassiness parameters. The glass physics of ultrasoft particles is hence richer than that of impenetrable particles for reasons that can be attributed to the ability of the former to create and break out-of-equilibrium clusters of overlapping particles.

Bridge functions of classical one-component plasmas

In a recent paper, Lucco Castello et al. [arXiv:2107.03537] performed systematic extractions of classical one-component plasma bridge functions from molecular dynamics simulations and provided an accurate parametrization that was incorporated in their isomorph-based empirically modified hypernetted chain approach for Yukawa one-component plasmas. Here the extraction technique and parametrization strategy are described in detail, while the deficiencies of earlier efforts are discussed. The structural and thermodynamic predictions of the updated version of the integral equation theory approach are compared with extensive available simulation results revealing a truly unprecedented level of accuracy in the entire dense liquid region of the Yukawa phase diagram.

Integral equation theory based dielectric scheme for strongly coupled electron liquids

In a recent paper, Lucco Castello et al. (arXiv:2107.03537) provided an accurate parameterization of classical one-component plasma bridge functions that was embedded in a novel dielectric scheme for strongly coupled electron liquids. Here, this approach is rigorously formulated, its set of equations is formally derived, and its numerical algorithm is scrutinized. A systematic comparison with available and new path integral Monte Carlo simulations reveals a rather unprecedented agreement especially in terms of the interaction energy and the long wavelength limit of the static local field correction.

Structure and thermodynamics of two-dimensional Yukawa liquids

The thermodynamic and structural properties of two-dimensional dense Yukawa liquids are studied with molecular dynamics simulations. The "exact" thermodynamic properties are simultaneously employed in an advanced scheme for the determination of an equation of state that shows an unprecedented level of accuracy for the internal energy, pressure, and isothermal compressibility. The "exact" structural properties are utilized to formulate a novel empirical correction to the hypernetted-chain approach that leads to a very high accuracy level in terms of static correlations and thermodynamics.

Testing the isomorph invariance of the bridge functions of Yukawa one-component plasmas

It has been recently conjectured that bridge functions remain nearly invariant along phase diagram lines of constant excess entropy for the broad class of R-simple liquids. To test this hypothesis, the bridge functions of Yukawa systems are computed outside the correlation void with the Ornstein-Zernike inversion method employing structural input from ultra-accurate molecular dynamics simulations and inside the correlation void with the cavity distribution method employing structural input from ultra-long specially designed molecular dynamics simulations featuring a tagged particle pair. Yukawa bridge functions are revealed to be isomorph invariant to a very high degree. The observed invariance is not exact, however, since isomorphic deviations exceed the overall uncertainties.

Free-energy functional of instantaneous correlation field in liquids: Field-theoretic derivation of the closures

This paper presents a unified method for formulating a field-theoretic perturbation theory that encompasses the conventional liquid state theory. First, the free-energy functional of an instantaneous correlation field is obtained from the functional-integral representation of the grand potential. Next, we demonstrate that the instantaneous free-energy functional yields a closure relation between the correlation functions in the mean-field approximation. Notably, the obtained closure relation covers a variety of approximate closures introduced in the liquid state theory.

Local order and cluster formation in model fluids with competing interactions: a simulation and theoretical study

In SALR fluids, theory and simulation predict tiny morphological changes in the density profile occurring at the onset of clustering.

Revisiting the replica theory of the liquid to ideal glass transition

The replica theory of the "Random First Order Transition" (RFOT) from a supercooled liquid to an "ideal" glass of a system of "soft spheres" is revisited. Following the seminal work of Mézard and Parisi [J. Chem. Phys. 111, 1076 (1999)], the number m of weakly interacting replicas of the system is varied continuously from m = 2 to m < 1. Relevant order parameters and the free energy of the liquid and glass phases are calculated using the hypernetted chain (HNC) approximation for the pair correlation functions. The scenario observed for all m confirms the existence of two glass branches G₁ and G₂. The latter has the lowest free energy for all m > 1, while the former has a lower free energy for m < 1 but is shown to be unstable against spinodal decomposition for any nonzero value of the attractive inter-replica coupling. The critical temperature T_cr of the RFOT turns out to depend on m, which may be a by-product of the approximation inherent in the HNC closure. The RFOT is predicted to be weakly first order, characterized by a small jump in density between the coexisting liquid and G₂ phases for all m > 1. Estimating T_cr in the limit m → 1 requires a proper extrapolation of high resolution HNC calculations. The present protocol explores the behavior of the free energy of the ideal glass phase below T_cr as a function of m.

Transformation cycle between the spherically symmetric correlation function, projected correlation function and differential cross section as implemented inSASfit

Spin-echo-based small-angle neutron scattering techniques like spin-echo SANS (SESANS) or spin-echo modulated SANS (SEMSANS) as well as dark-field (DF) imaging are directly sensitive to \tilde{G}(\delta), which is the projection of the scattering length density autocorrelation function \tilde{\gamma}(r). Here, a simplified transformation cycle relating the spherically symmetric correlation function \tilde{\gamma}(r), the projected correlation function \tilde{G}(\delta) and the macroscopic small-angle scattering cross section dΣ/dΩ is introduced. The suggested changes to the cycle make it easier to include size distribution on an absolute scale if the data from the different techniques are fitted simultaneously. As up to now only very few analytical expressions for the projected correlation function are known, a numerical transformation of known scattering functions into the projected correlation function in theSASfitsoftware package is supplied. Furthermore, a new analytical expression for the projected correlation function for polymers that can be described by the generalized Gaussian coil model is provided. For this polymer model, the Hankel transform used to calculate \tilde{G}(0) from the SANS signal is divergent for a certain parameter range describing a polymer in a good solvent and finite in the case of a poor solvent. It is therefore a suitable example of how the experimentally availableqrange can strongly influence the obtained results.

Tiny changes in local order identify the cluster formation threshold in model fluids with competing interactions

In two-Yukawa fluids, the increment of attraction causes a tiny reversal of trend in the local density, within specific ranges of interparticle distances. This event precisely signals the onset of a clustered state.

Simple liquids' quasiuniversality and the hard-sphere paradigm

This topical review discusses the quasiuniversality of simple liquids' structure and dynamics and two possible justifications of it. The traditional one is based on the van der Waals picture of liquids in which the hard-sphere system reflects the basic physics. An alternative explanation argues that all quasiuniversal liquids to a good approximation conform to the same equation of motion, referring to the exponentially repulsive pair-potential system as the basic reference system. The paper, which is aimed at non-experts, ends by listing a number of open problems in the field.

Hypernetted-chain investigation of the random first-order transition of a Lennard-Jones liquid to an ideal glass

The structural and thermodynamic behavior of a deeply supercooled Lennard-Jones liquid, and its random first-order transition (RFOT) to an ideal glass is investigated, using a system of two weakly coupled replicas and the hypernetted chain integral equation for the pair structure of this symmetric binary system. A systematic search in the density-temperature plane points to the existence of two glass branches below a density-dependent threshold temperature. The branch of lower free energy exhibits a rapid growth of the structural overlap order parameter upon cooling and may be identified with the ideal glass phase conjectured by several authors for both spin and structural glasses. The RFOT, signaled by a sharp discontinuity of the order parameter, is predicted to be weakly first order from a thermodynamic viewpoint. The transition temperature T(cr) increases rapidly with density and approximately obeys a scaling relation valid for a reference system of particles interacting via a purely repulsive 1/r(18) potential.