The Geometrical Structure of 2d Bond-Orientational Order

Abstract

We study the formulation of bond-orientational order in an arbitrary two dimensional geometry. We find that bond-orientational order is properly formulated within the framework of differential geometry with torsion. The torsion reflects the intrinsic frustration for two-dimensional crystals with arbitrary geometry. Within a Debye-Huckel approximation, torsion may be identified as the density of dislocations. Changes in the geometry of the system cause a reorganization of the torsion density that preserves bond-orientational order. As a byproduct, we are able to derive several identities involving the topology, defect density and geometric invariants such as Gaussian curvature. The formalism is used to derive the general free energy for a 2D sample of arbitrary geometry, both in the crystalline and hexatic phases. Applications to conical and spherical geometries are briefly addressed.