Melting Scenarios of Two-Dimensional Systems: Possibilities of Computer Simulation

VN Ryzhov and EA Gaiduk and EE Tareeva and YD Fomin and EN Tsiok, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL PHYSICS, 137, 125-150 (2023).

DOI: 10.1134/S1063776123070129

Modern theories of melting of two-dimensional systems are discussed that are mainly based on the concepts of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) theory of phase transitions in two-dimensional systems with continuous symmetry. Today there exist three basic scenarios of melting of two-dimensional crystals. First of all, this is the Berezinskii- Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young (BKTHNY) theory, in which two- dimensional crystals are melted through two BKT-type continuous transitions with an intermediate hexatic phase. In this case a first- order phase transition can also occur. The third scenario has recently been proposed by Bernard and Krauth (BK), in which melting can occur through a BKT-type transition; in this case the hexatic phase-isotropic fluid transition is a first-order transition. The review presents a critical analysis of the approaches used to determine the parameters and the type of transition by computer simulation methods.

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