Phase transitions in thin films with competing surface fields and gradients.

As a generic model for phase equilibria under confinement in a thin-film geometry in the presence of a gradient in the field conjugate to the order parameter, an Ising-lattice gas system is studied by both Monte Carlo simulations and a phenomenological theory. Choosing an L×L×D geometry with L≫D and periodic boundary conditions in the x,y directions, we place competing surface fields on the two L×L surfaces. In addition, a field gradient g is present in the z direction across the film, in competition with the surface fields. At temperatures T exceeding the critical temperature of the interface localization-delocalization transition, one finds a phase coexistence between oppositely oriented domains, aligned parallel to the surface fields and separated by an interface in the center of the film, for small enough g. For a weak gradient, a second-order transition to a monodomain state occurs, but it becomes first order if g exceeds a tricritical threshold. For sufficiently large gradients, another domain state becomes stabilized with domains oriented antiparallel to the surface fields.