A new mechanism of structural transition in 2D Hertzian spheres in the presence of random pinning

Abstract: Using molecular dynamics simulation we have investigated the influence of random pinning on the phase diagram and melting scenarios of a two-dimensional (2D) system with the Hertz potential for $\alpha=5/2$. For the first time it has been shown that random pinning can cardinally change the mechanism of first-order transition between the different crystalline phases (triangular and square) by virtue of generating hexatic and tetratic phases: a triangular crystal to hexatic transition is of the continuous Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) type, a hexatic to tetratic transition is of the first-order, and finally, a continuous BKT type transition from tetratic to the square crystal.