Dynamic Motions of Topological Defects in Nematic Liquid Crystals under Spatial Confinement

Journal Article · Tue Apr 25 00:00:00 UTC 2023 · Advanced Materials Interfaces

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202300136 · OSTI ID:1971410

Pawale, Tejal ^[1]; Swain, Justin ^[2]; Hashemi, Mohammad Reza ^[1]; Tierra, Giordano ^[2]; Li, Xiao  ^[1]

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1. Materials Science and Engineering Department University of North Texas 3940 North Elm Street Denton TX 76209 USA
2. Department of Mathematics University of North Texas 1155 Union Circle Denton TX 76203 USA

Abstract Topological defects (TDs) have become a sensational topic due to their significant influence on the unusual optical and physiochemical characteristics of the material. To facilitate their application across a wide range of disciplines it is desirable to analyze and gain fundamental understanding of TDs in both equilibrium and nonequilibrium systems. Liquid crystals (LCs) are considered an ideal system for study given the direct visualization of TDs and a straightforward analyzation process. In addition to the equilibrium morphology of LC TDs, it is also of great interest to track and control the formation and annihilation of defects during thermodynamic processes. However, controlling the dynamic behavior of formed defects remains a challenge. Here, nematic LCs confined in a cell exhibiting surfaces with periodic anchoring conditions containing surface topography are relied on. The effects of patterned surface characteristics such as width, periodicity, and degree of curvature on defects dynamic motion, stabilization, and annihilation are explored. The computational experiments recapitulate the TDs transition path and provide free energy‐based predictions of critical distances for defect annihilation. Taken together, this simple approach offers a promising opportunity to control the dynamics of TDs in LCs through chemical patterned surfaces with topography.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1971410
• Journal Information: Advanced Materials Interfaces, Journal Name: Advanced Materials Interfaces Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 10; ISSN 2196-7350
• Publisher: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: Germany
• Language: English