Soft Matter Theory & Simulations Group

PRE: Liq. Cryst.

• Phase transitions of heliconical $\text{smectic-}C$ and heliconical nematic phases in banana-shaped liquid crystals
  Author(s): Akihiko MatsuyamaA mean-field theory is introduced to describe heliconical nematic (${N}_{\text{TB}}$), heliconical $\text{smectic-}C$ (${S}_{m}{C}_{\text{TB}}$), and biaxial heliconical $\text{smectic-}C$ (${S}_{m}{C}_{\text{TB},b}$) phases with mirror symmetry breaking. We extend our previous theories of the ${N}_...[Phys. Rev. E 101, 050701(R)] […]
• NMR studies of molecular ordering and molecular dynamics in a chiral liquid crystal with the $\mathrm{Sm}{{C}_{α}}^{*}$ phase
  Author(s): Magdalena Knapkiewicz, Adam Rachocki, Michał Bielejewski, and Pedro J. SebastiãoMolecular dynamics of the antiferroelectric liquid crystal 4′-(octyloxy)biphenyl-4-carboxylate2-fluoro-4-[(octyl-2-yloxy)carbonyl]phenyl (abbreviated as D16) was investigated using different nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. D16 molecules form a smectic-${{C […]
• Field-triggered vertical positional transition of a microparticle suspended in a nematic liquid crystal cell
  Author(s): Ke Xiao, Xi Chen, Xue-Zheng Cao, and Chen-Xu WuIn this paper, based on the numerical calculation of total energy utilizing the Green's function method, we investigate how a field-triggered vertical positional transition of a microparticle suspended in a nematic liquid crystal cell is influenced by the direction of the applied field, surface a […]
• Theory of the splay nematic phase: Single versus double splay
  Author(s): Michely P. Rosseto and Jonathan V. SelingerThis paper uses numerical and analytical methods to examine the structure and stability of a recently discovered splay nematic phase of liquid crystals. Results show that a double-splay structure, which has a two-dimensional modulation of the director splay, generally has lower free energy than a single-s […]
• Polarized epifluorescence microscopy and the imaging of nematic liquid crystals in highly curved geometries
  Author(s): Perry W. Ellis, Susannah Klaneček, and Alberto Fernandez-NievesWe develop polarized epifluorescence microscopy (PFM), a technique to qualitatively determine a director field, even when refraction effects are too strong to use optical polarized microscopy. We present the basic theory behind the technique and cover in detail the experimental setup. […]
• Orientational order induced by a polymer network in the isotropic phase of liquid crystal
  Author(s): V. Sergan, T. Sergan, I. Dozov, S. Joly, and R. VossWe studied the paranematic ordering induced by a polymer network in the isotropic phase of a liquid crystal (LC) that occurs in polymer-stabilized cells with bend configuration of the LC director (π cells) fabricated via photopolymerization of photoreactive monomer RM 82 added in small concentrat […]
• Nematic reorientation effects on resonant modes, wavelength mismatch, and slow-light phenomena in one-dimensional magnetophotonic crystals with a dual anisotropic defect
  Author(s): E. J. Oliveira, P. B. de Melo, M. S. S. Pereira, F. M. Zanetti, and I. N. de OliveiraThe present study is devoted to the investigation of spectral properties of an alternated sequence of magnetic and dielectric layers containing a dual defect based on magnetic and nematic layers. Combining the Hydrodynamic Continuum Theory for nematic liquid cryst […]
• Dynamics of hard colloidal cuboids in nematic liquid crystals
  Author(s): Alejandro Cuetos and Alessandro PattiWe perform dynamic Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the equilibrium dynamics of hard board-like colloidal particles in oblate and prolate nematic liquid crystals. In particular, we characterize the particles' diffusion along the nematic director and perpendicularly to it, and observe a structu...[Phy […]
• Coalescence of holes in two-dimensional free-standing smectic films
  Author(s): P. V. Dolganov, N. S. Shuravin, and V. K. DolganovWe investigate in free-standing smectic films coalescence of holes (circular regions with thickness smaller than the surrounding film). This process can be considered as a two-dimensional analog of coalescence of bubbles in a three-dimensional fluid. A high speed video camera was used to study the […]
• Surface anchoring as a control parameter for stabilizing torons, skyrmions, twisted walls, fingers, and their hybrids in chiral nematics
  Author(s): Jung-Shen B. Tai (戴榮身) and Ivan I. SmalyukhChiral condensed matter systems, such as liquid crystals and magnets, exhibit a host of spatially localized topological structures that emerge from the medium's tendency to twist and its competition with confinement and field coupling effects. We show that the strength of perpendicular surface bound. […]