Discrete anchoring: Bulk-substrate coupling in lattice models
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Papatriantafillou, C
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Taylor, PL
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Paraskevaidis, CE
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Mulder, BM
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We formulate the anchoring problem for discrete-state lattice models. Anchoring is the selection of a bulk equilibrium state from a degenerate set of equivalent equilibrium states in semi-infinite samples in contact with a substrate, a phenomenon widely discussed in the context of liquid crystalline displays. As a concrete example we consider this problem for the three-state Potts model employing two different approximations, viz., a layered mean-field approximation and a Bethe lattice approach. The anchoring behaviour of the model is shown to be completely determined by the symmetry properties of the Hamiltonian. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
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