The Effect of Disordered Substrate on Crystallization in 2D

Abstract

In this work the effect of amorphous substrate on crystallization is addressed. By performing Monte-Carlo simulations of solid on solid models we explore the effect of the disorder on crystal growth. The disorder is introduced via local geometry of the lattice, where local connectivity and transition rates are varied from site to site. A comparison to an ordered lattice is accomplished and for both, ordered and disordered substrates, an optimal growth temperature is observed. Moreover, we find that under specific conditions the disordered substrate may have a beneficial effect on crystal growth, i.e., better crystallization as a direct consequence of the presence of disorder.