Time Evolution of Discommensuration Lattice During the First-Order Commensurate-Incommensurate Transition

Abstract

On the basis of the free energy of an incommensurate system, a qualitative discussion is made of the time evolution of the spacing of discommensuration lattice during the first-order commensurate-to-incommensurate transition. It is shown that in the early stage of the transition when both phases coexist, the discommensuration lattice has a wider spacing l than the spacing l_e in the final equilibrium state, and that after the crystal is covered with a lattice with l, the spacing is narrowed to l_e by further nucleation of discommensurations.