Exploring the complex world of two-dimensional ordering with three modes.

The world of two-dimensional crystals is of great significance for the design and study of structural and functional materials with novel properties. Here we examine the mechanisms governing the formation and dynamics of these crystalline or polycrystalline states and their elastic and plastic properties by constructing a generic multimode phase field crystal model. Our results demonstrate that a system with three competing length scales can order into all five Bravais lattices, and other more complex structures including honeycomb, kagome, and other hybrid phases. In addition, nonequilibrium phase transitions are examined to illustrate the complex phase behavior described by the model. This model provides a systematic path to predict the influence of lattice symmetry on both the structure and dynamics of crystalline and defected systems.