entropy-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Dimensional Crossover in Classical and Quantum Systems

A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Statistical Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2024) | Viewed by 1970

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche ed Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: liquid–solid transition; crystal nucleation; surface roughening; confined liquids; liquids and crystals of softly repulsive particles; self-assembly of complex fluids; superfluids and supersolids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The confinement of classical or quantum particles in one or two dimensions alters the phase-space probability density of the system to such an extent that thermodynamic and structural properties will be profoundly affected. Considering the equilibrium behavior, thermal fluctuations are stronger in systems of reduced dimensionality, which discourage or even completely rule out crystalline order at finite temperature. Even more remarkable phase behaviors can be induced when confined geometries like wedges, narrow slits or other sorts of quasi-two-dimensional traps are considered. In this case, a many-particle system will exhibit properties/orderings that are intermediate between two and three dimensions, thus providing fertile ground for observing novel physical effects. Similarly, confining traps with the shape of a thin cylindrical or spherical shell are a tool to probe the effect of curvature on equilibrium properties, with important applications to biology and technology.

Despite the effort already invested in characterizing a variety of (loosely) confined systems, more imagination is still needed to come up with experimental or theoretical ideas that would allow us to gain a better control of self-assembly processes in many-body systems. Original manuscripts highlighting the various topics in this area are welcome.

Dr. Santi Prestipino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Entropy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • liquid–solid transition
  • translational and bond-angle order
  • anisotropic liquids
  • crystal nucleation
  • crystal polymorphism in soft matter
  • self-assembly of complex fluids
  • liquid and crystalline membranes
  • quantum liquids and crystals
  • ultracold quantum gases

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 1226 KiB  
Article
Discontinuous Structural Transitions in Fluids with Competing Interactions
by Ana M. Montero, Santos B. Yuste, Andrés Santos and Mariano López de Haro
Entropy 2025, 27(1), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27010095 - 20 Jan 2025
Viewed by 929
Abstract
This paper explores how competing interactions in the intermolecular potential of fluids affect their structural transitions. This study employs a versatile potential model with a hard core followed by two constant steps, representing wells or shoulders, analyzed in both one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional [...] Read more.
This paper explores how competing interactions in the intermolecular potential of fluids affect their structural transitions. This study employs a versatile potential model with a hard core followed by two constant steps, representing wells or shoulders, analyzed in both one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) systems. Comparing these dimensionalities highlights the effect of confinement on structural transitions. Exact results are derived for 1D systems, while the rational function approximation is used for unconfined 3D fluids. Both scenarios confirm that when the steps are repulsive, the wavelength of the oscillatory decay of the total correlation function evolves with temperature either continuously or discontinuously. In the latter case, a discontinuous oscillation crossover line emerges in the temperature–density plane. For an attractive first step and a repulsive second step, a Fisher–Widom line appears. Although the 1D and 3D results share common features, dimensionality introduces differences: these behaviors occur in distinct temperature ranges, require deeper wells, or become attenuated in 3D. Certain features observed in 1D may vanish in 3D. We conclude that fluids with competing interactions exhibit a rich and intricate pattern of structural transitions, demonstrating the significant influence of dimensionality and interaction features. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dimensional Crossover in Classical and Quantum Systems)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3782 KiB  
Article
Self-Assembly of Particles on a Curved Mesh
by Gabriele Costa and Santi Prestipino
Entropy 2025, 27(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27010046 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 635
Abstract
Discrete statistical systems offer a significant advantage over systems defined in the continuum, since they allow for an easier enumeration of microstates. We introduce a lattice-gas model on the vertices of a polyhedron called a pentakis icosidodecahedron and draw its exact phase diagram [...] Read more.
Discrete statistical systems offer a significant advantage over systems defined in the continuum, since they allow for an easier enumeration of microstates. We introduce a lattice-gas model on the vertices of a polyhedron called a pentakis icosidodecahedron and draw its exact phase diagram by the Wang–Landau method. Using different values for the couplings between first-, second-, and third-neighbor particles, we explore various interaction patterns for the model, ranging from softly repulsive to Lennard-Jones-like and SALR. We highlight the existence of sharp transitions between distinct low-temperature “phases”, featuring, among others, regular polyhedral, cluster-crystal-like, and worm-like structures. When attempting to reproduce the equation of state of the model by Monte Carlo simulation, we find hysteretic behavior near zero temperature, implying a bottleneck issue for Metropolis dynamics near phase-crossover points. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dimensional Crossover in Classical and Quantum Systems)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop