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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
Published on: May 29, 2018
Phase-field-crystal and Swift-Hohenberg equations with fast dynamics
Peter Galenko1, Denis Danilov, Vladimir Lebedev
1Institut für Materialphysik im Weltraum, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), 51170 Köln, Germany. peter.galenko@dlr.de
This study introduces memory functions to describe phase transitions, extending phase-field crystal and Swift-Hohenberg models with inertia effects for better prediction of dynamic instabilities.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Computational Modeling
Background:
- Phase transitions involve shifts between unstable and stable states.
- Existing models like phase-field crystals and Swift-Hohenberg have limitations in capturing dynamic behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To phenomenologically describe phase transitions across scales.
- To extend the applicability of phase-field crystal and Swift-Hohenberg models.
- To incorporate inertia effects and memory functions into models of phase transitions.
Main Methods:
- Developed a phenomenological description incorporating memory functions.
- Introduced exponential memory functions to include inertia effects.
- Modified equations of motion for phase-field crystal and Swift-Hohenberg models.
Main Results:
- Successfully described the transition from unstable to stable phase states.
- Extended the region of applicability for phase-field crystal and Swift-Hohenberg models.
- Predicted fast degrees of freedom via damping perturbations with finite relaxation times.
Conclusions:
- Memory functions and inertia effects enhance the description of phase transitions.
- The modified models provide a more comprehensive understanding of dynamic instabilities.
- This approach offers improved predictive capabilities for material phase transformations.
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