Microrheology of FCC Hard Sphere Crystals

ORAL

Abstract

We present a measurement of the low-frequency elastic moduli of hard sphere colloidal crystals. Our system consists of concentrated suspensions ($\phi > 0.49$) of monodisperse PMMA-PHSA particles suspended in a density-matching solvent mixture of decalin and tetrachloroethylene. Single crystals are heterogeneously nucleated from a templated surface. In particular, a square surface pattern is used to grow large (1mmx1mm laterally, 20 microns deep), face centered cubic (FCC) single crystals from the template surface. Using confocal microscopy and video analysis techniques, we have measured the thermally driven self- and cross- correlated particle motion in the (100) plane. The measured viscous and elastic responses show an angular dependence that is related to the anisotropy of the hard sphere FCC crystal.

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Authors

  • Matthew Sullivan

    Princeton University

  • Kun Zhao

    Princeton University

  • A.D. Hollingsworth

  • W.B. Russel

    Princeton University

  • P.M. Chaikin

    Department of Physics, Princeton University, Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, Physics, Princeton, Princeton University, Princeton Univ., Physics Department, Princeton University, Physics, Princeton University, Physics Dept., Princeton Univ.

  • Alex J. Levine

    University of Massachusetts, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Dept. of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003.