Surface instability of an elastic conducting halfspace in an electric field: lattice diffusion

• Published in: Journal of physics. D, Applied physics Vol. 38; no. 21; pp. 3938 - 3943
• Main Author: Yang, Fuqian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 07.11.2005; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Elasticity, elastic constants; Exact sciences and technology; Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter; Mechanical properties of solids; Physics; Surface field; Young modulus; Tensile stress; Dispersion relations; Electric field effects; Elasticity; Instability; Elastic material; Diffusion; Half space; Conducting materials; Smooth surface
• ISSN: 0022-3727; 1361-6463
• DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/38/21/016

The surface evolution of an elastic conducting material subject to an infinitesimal surface perturbation and uniform loading in an electric field was evaluated with respect to lattice diffusion. A dispersion relation describing morphological evolution of the elastic material as a function of the electric field intensity was derived, and the time evolution of the surface perturbation was obtained. The critical spatial frequency of the infinitesimal surface perturbation, at which the growth rate of the perturbation is zero, increases with the increase of the electric field intensity and is independent of Young's modulus of the elastic halfspace. An electrical field enhances the surface growth of elastic conducting solids for atomic migration controlled by lattice diffusion, while tensile stress tends to smooth surface perturbations.