Theoretical Investigation of Coarsening Process of L1₀-Ordered Domain Based on Phase Field Method and Cluster Variation Method

Abstract

A hybridized calculation of Phase Field Method and Cluster Variation Method is applied to investigate the relaxation process of Long-Range-Order parameter (LRO) originating from competitive growth of ordered domains. It is shown that the coarsening process proceeds by both the curvature-driven growth and coalescence among in-phase ordered domains. In the early annealing period, an average radius of ordered domains increases proportional to t^1⁄2 as predicted by the curvature-driven growth. In the later period, however, a deviation from this relation is manifested by coalescence process. The LRO relaxation kinetics largely depends on the frequency of coalescence event.