Domain growth and wetting in phase-separating fluid mixtures

We present light scattering results from two different fluid mixtures undergoing phase separation next to a glass interface. We observe a characteristic length scale L, which coarsens as a function of time L ∼ t^3/2. This growth is faster than any observed previously in bulk samples. The physical process responsible for it is the formation of a wetting layer of one of the two coexisting phases next to the interface. We discuss recent theoretical attempts to explain the fast kinetic mode.