New Fast SCFT Algorithm Applied to Binary Diblock Copolymer/Homopolymer Blends

We present an efficient strategy for mapping out the classical phase behavior of block copolymer systems using self-consistent-field theory. With our new algorithm, the complete solution of a classical block copolymer phase can be evaluated typically in a fraction of a second on a single-processor computer, even for highly segregated melts. This is accomplished by implementing the standard unit-cell approximation for the cylindrical and spherical phases and solving the resulting equations using a Bessel function expansion. Here the method is used to investigate blends of AB diblock copolymer and A homopolymer, concentrating on the situation where the two molecules are of similar size.