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  • Open Access

Distinct behaviors of the two stages of heterogeneous crystallization under different supercooling degrees

Junfeng Zhou1, Zhen Chen1,*, and Lei Xu1,2,†

  • *Contact author: chenzhen_physics@163.com
  • †Contact author: xuleixu@cuhk.edu.hk
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033256 – Published 1 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gfzw-xq28

Abstract

Crystallites form in supercooled liquids as particles rearrange into ordered structures, driven by thermal fluctuations or external stimuli. While the thermodynamics of heterogeneous crystallization under boundary constraints is well described by classical nucleation theory, the kinetics of symmetry formation—particularly in systems far from the transition point—remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the heterogeneous crystallization of a colloidal system across a wide range of effective supercooling degrees by varying the volume fraction. Using confocal microscopy, we capture the motion and local structures of particles in situ with high spatial and temporal resolution. Our results reveal a consistent crystallization pathway across different supercooling levels: Rotational symmetry forms prior to translational symmetry, with normal modes of local structures playing distinct roles in each stage of crystallization. Notably, the liquid-to-precursor transformation is robust even under deep supercooling, suggesting minimal influence of supercooling on rotational order development. In contrast, the precursor-to-solid transformation is significantly accelerated in denser systems, indicating that translational order is strongly governed by the degree of supercooling. These findings provide insights into the interplay between thermodynamics and kinetics in heterogeneous crystallization and offer guidance for controlling phase transitions across a broad range of disciplines.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033256– Published 1 September, 2026
  • Received 15 April 2026
  • Accepted 27 July 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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