Probing disordered substrates by imaging the adsorbate in its fluid phase

Abstract

Several recent imaging experiments access the equilibrium density profiles of\ninteracting particles confined to a two-dimensional substrate. When these\nparticles are in a fluid phase, we show that such data yields precise\ninformation regarding substrate disorder as reflected in one-point functions\nand two-point correlations of the fluid. Using Monte Carlo simulations and\nreplica generalizations of liquid state theories, we extract unusual two-point\ncorrelations of time-averaged density inhomogeneities induced by disorder.\nDistribution functions such as these have not hitherto been measured but should\nbe experimentally accessible.\n