Ordering kinetics in quasi-one-dimensional Ising-like systems

Results are presented of a Monte Carlo simulation of the kinetics of ordering in the two-dimensional nearest-neighbor Ising model in an L x M geometry with two free boundaries of length M much-gt L. This model can be viewed as representing an adsorbant on a stepped surface with mean terrace width L. The authors follow the ordering kinetics after quenches to temperatures 0.25 ≤T/Tc≤1 starting from a random initial configuration at a coverage of Θ=0.5 in the corresponding lattice gas picture. The systems evolve in time according to a Glauber kinetics with nonconserved order parameter. The equilibrium structure is given by a one-dimensional sequence of ordered domains. The ordering process evolves from a short initial two-dimensional ordering process through a crossover region to a quasi-one-dimensional behavior. The whole process is diffusive (inverse half-width of the structure factor peak 1/Δqparallel ∝ √t), in contrast to a model proposed by Kawasaki et al., where an intermediate logarithmic growth law is expected. All results are completely describable in the picture of an annihilating random walk (ARW) of domain walls. 36 refs., 16 figs