Elastic behavior of a two-dimensional crystal near melting

Abstract

Using positional data from video microscopy, we determine the elastic moduli of two-dimensional colloidal crystals as a function of temperature. The moduli are extracted from the wave-vector-dependent normal-mode spring constants in the limit q-->0 and are compared to the renormalized Young's modulus of the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young theory. An essential element of this theory is the universal prediction that Young's modulus must approach 16 pi at the melting temperature. This is indeed observed in our experiment.