A prepared pattern with wavelength selection in directional solidification

As crystal growth is a vital link in the long chain of processes leading to state-of-the-art technological devices, a great deal is known about patterns formed at the solid-liquid interface of a growing crystal. However, some basic questions are still unanswered concerning macroscopic features exhibited by a moving solid-liquid interface. Even for the first instability, the cellular instability, a unique steady-state wavelength does not emerge from theory. Furthermore, while wavelength selection is observed in many different materials, its origin is still to be discovered. By breaking continuous rotational symmetry of the flat solid-liquid interface about the pulling direction v, we prepared a cellular pattern with a well-defined wavelength by front propagation into the unstable uniform state. The material is succinonitrile and the rectangular interface geometry is formed by loading it into a flat capillary. The capillaries are chosen to provide a sample thicknessy ₀ = 100n , and width 10y ₀ and 20y ₀. We use a high-resolution directional solidification apparatus and grow the crystal from grain-boundary-free seed crystals. Surprisingly, the shape of the groove next to the uniform state is initially well-described by nearly self-similar Gaussians. This suggests that the initial perturbation of the interface is localized to a region /2 around a groove. A pattern with a well-defined wavelength is established when the half-width of the Gaussians ₀16m is small compared to 80m so there is little overlap between a groove and its predecessor or successor. When overlap is significant, the pattern is time-dependent. These results suggest that wavelength selection in this prepared pattern is a consequence of front propagation of a localized perturbation.