Soft Matter Theory & Simulations Group

PRE: Liq. Cryst.

• Tailored nematic and magnetization profiles on two-dimensional polygons
  Author(s): Yucen Han, Joseph Harris, Joshua Walton, and Apala MajumdarWe study dilute suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles in a nematic host, on two-dimensional polygons. These systems are described by a nematic order parameter and a spontaneous magnetization, in the absence of any external fields. We study the stable states in terms of stable critical poin […]
• Molecular-statistical theory of elasticity in nematic liquid crystals composed of polar and nonpolar molecules
  Author(s): M. A. Osipov, A. A. Antonov, and M. V. GorkunovA molecular-statistical theory of the orientational elasticity of nematic liquid crystals has been developed employing the orientational deformation tensor which describes the rotation of the director. An explicit expression for the general elasticity tensor of the nematic phase has been obtained an.. […]
• Electric response of topological dipoles in nematic colloids with twist-bend nematic droplets as the dispersed phase
  Author(s): K. S. Krishnamurthy, D. S. Shankar Rao, Madhu B. Kanakala, and Channabasaveshwar V. YelamaggadColloidal systems comprising solid or fluid particles dispersed in nematic monodomains are known to be a convenient means to study topological defects. Recent experiments have shown that twist-bend nematic $({N}_{\mathrm{TB}})$ droplets in a nematic matri […]
• Dielectrowetting of a thin nematic liquid crystal layer
  Author(s): E. Mema, L. Kondic, and L. J. CummingsWe consider a mathematical model that describes the flow of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) film placed on a flat substrate, across which a spatially varying electric potential is applied. Due to their polar nature, NLC molecules interact with the (nonuniform) electric field generated, leading to ins...[Phys. R […]
• Lattice Monte Carlo study of orientational order in a confined system of biaxial particles: Effect of an external electric field
  Author(s): João Paulo Casquilho and João Luis FigueirinhasIn this work we have used lattice Monte Carlo to determine the orientational order of a system of biaxial particles confined between two walls inducing perfect order and subjected to an electric field perpendicular to the walls. The particles are set to interact with their nearest neighbors through .. […]
• Graphene as an alignment agent, an electrode, and a source of surface chirality in a smectic-A liquid crystal
  Author(s): Rajratan BasuA liquid crystal (LC) cell was fabricated by putting together a monolayer graphene-coated glass substrate on one side, and a rubbed planar-aligning polyimide layer on an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate on the other side. The monolayer graphene film served as the planar-alignment agent ...[Phys. Rev. E 103, 022710] Publis […]
• Molecular origin of the heterogeneity in the nematic and smectic liquid crystals: Elastic constants, gradients of order parameters, and visualization of small objects
  Author(s): A. V. Emelyanenko, E. S. Filimonova, and A. R. KhokhlovThe formation of heterogeneous nematic and smectic liquid crystals in the general case of an arbitrary geometry is investigated in the framework of molecular-statistical approach [Emelyanenko and Khokhlov, J. Chem. Phys. 142, 204905 (2015)]. The molecular aspects of the orientational and trans […]
• Nanoparticle surface energy transfer (NSET) in ferroelectric liquid crystal–metallic-silver nanoparticle composites: Effect of dopant concentration on NSET parameters
  Author(s): T. Vimal, G. H. Pujar, K Agrahari, Sanjeev R. Inamdar, and R. ManoharIn the recent past, the resonance energy transfer studies using metallic nanoparticles has become a matter of quintessence in modern technology, which considerably extends its applications in probing specific biological and chemical processes. In the present study, metallic-silve […]
• Nematic tactoid population
  Author(s): Silvia Paparini and Epifanio G. VirgaTactoids are pointed, spindlelike droplets of nematic liquid crystal in an isotropic fluid. They have long been observed in inorganic and organic nematics, in thermotropic phases as well as lyotropic colloidal aggregates. The variational problem of determining the optimal shape of a nematic droplet ...[Phys. Re […]
• Osmotic-pressure-induced phase transition of a surfactant-DNA complex
  Author(s): S. Madhukar, A. V. Radhakrishnan, and V. A. RaghunathanWe have studied the effect of osmotic pressure on complexes formed by DNA with the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium tosylate using small-angle x-ray scattering. Earlier studies have shown that these complexes exhibit three different phases depending on the DNA and surfactant concentr […]