Colloid-Polymer Mixtures at Triple Coexistence: Kinetic Maps from Free-Energy Landscapes

We have studied the kinetics of phase separation in a colloid-polymer mixture. The evolution of initially homogeneous samples as they separate into coexisting colloidal gas, liquid, and crystal phases was investigated by time-lapse video recording. Distinct kinetic regimes were found, the existence and character of which are interpreted in terms of the ``free energy landscape'' of the system.