Kagome Lattice Formation through Preliminary Structures in Colloidal Heteroepitaxy

Brownian dynamics simulations were conducted to investigate the formation of a Kagome lattice in the first epitaxial layer during colloidal heteroepitaxy. When the epitaxial particles were smaller than the substrate particles and the interactions were predominantly governed by the depletion force, a kagome lattice structure was successfully formed in the first epitaxial layer when the epitaxial particles were a specific size. The formation process of the Kagome lattice in the first layer was analyzed in detail. Initially, the epitaxial particles adhered to positions where they interacted with three substrate particles. When the density of epitaxial particles on the substrate increased by sedimentation, the epitaxial particles changed locations to attach to the sites where they interacted with one or two substrate particles, and a hexagonal structure formed. Subsequently, particles interacting with only one substrate particle detached from the substrate, resulting in the formation of a kagome lattice.