Wetting in Multiphase Systems with Complex Geometries

We address the shape and distribution of two-phase systems embedded within a third phase. To motivate this work, we begin by describing transmission electron microscopy observations of the configurations adopted by the solid and vapor phases of lead when these are confined together within a silicon cavity. We then perform analytical calculations of the stability of various possible configurations of two-phase systems confined in a cubic-shaped cavity. The most stable configurations are a function of the volume ratio of the two phases in the cavity, and of a parameter describing the wetting behavior in the three-phase system. The wealth of configurations obtained for embedded solid/fluid or condensed/fluid phases within a solid cavity is presented. Wetting anisotropy on the walls of the cavity, and the faceted or isotropic character of the interface between the two embedded phases, are shown to be physical parameters that determine the number of possible stable configurations.