Description of the fluctuating colloid-polymer interface

Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Aug 22;101(8):086101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.086101. Epub 2008 Aug 18.

Abstract

To describe the full spectrum of surface fluctuations of the interface between phase-separated colloid-polymer mixtures from low scattering vector q (classical capillary wave theory) to high q (bulklike fluctuations), one must take account of the interface's bending rigidity. We find that the bending rigidity is negative and that on approach to the critical point it vanishes proportionally to the interfacial tension. Both features are in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations.