Iskanje po katalogu digitalne knjižnice

Opis: Topological defects appear in symmetry breaking phase transitions and are ubiquitous throughout Nature. As an ideal testbed for their study, defect configurations in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) could be exploited in a rich variety of technological applications. Here we report on robust theoretical and experimental investigations in which an external electric field is used to switch between predetermined stable chargeless disclination patterns in a nematic cell, where the cell is sufficiently thick that the disclinations start and terminate at the same surface. The different defect configurations are stabilized by a master substrate that enforces a lattice of surface defects exhibiting zero total topological charge value. Theoretically, we model disclination configurations using a Landau-de Gennes phenomenological model. Experimentally, we enable diverse defect patterns by implementing an in-house-developed atomic force measurement scribing method, where NLC configurations are monitored via polarized optical microscopy. We show numerically and experimentally that an “alphabet” of up to 18 unique line defect configurations can be stabilized in a 4 × 4 lattice of alternating �=±1 surface defects, which can be “rewired” multistably using appropriate field manipulation. Our proof-of-concept mechanism may lead to a variety of applications, such as multistable optical displays and rewirable nanowires. Our studies also are of interest from a fundamental perspective. We demonstrate that a chargeless line could simultaneously exhibit defect-antidefect properties. Consequently, a pair of such antiparallel disclinations exhibits an attractive interaction. For a sufficiently closely spaced pair of substrate-pinned defects, this interaction could trigger rewiring, or annihilation if defects are depinned.
Ključne besede: line defects, topological defects, nematic liquid crystals, electric field, atomic force microscopy, numerical techniques, polarized optical microscopy
Objavljeno v DKUM: 18.11.2024; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 2
Celotno besedilo (3,79 MB)
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Opis: We consider the theoretical and positional assembling of topological defects (TDs) in effectively two-dimensional nematic liquid crystal films. We use a phenomenological Helfrich–Landau–de Gennes-type mesoscopic model in which geometric shapes and nematic orientational order are expressed in terms of a curvature tensor field and a nematic tensor order parameter field. Extrinsic, intrinsic, and total curvature potentials are introduced using the parallel transport concept. These potentials reveal curvature seeded TD attractors. To test ground configurations, we used axially symmetric nematic films exhibiting spherical topology.
Ključne besede: topological defects, nematic liquid crystals, nematic shells, geometric potentials, curvature
Objavljeno v DKUM: 30.09.2024; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 7
Celotno besedilo (3,69 MB)
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Opis: The active electrocaloric (EC) regenerator exploiting electric conversion into thermal energy has recently become important for developing a new generation of heat-management devices. We analyze an active EC regenerator numerically. We establish a temperature span across the regenerator ΔT by commuting a liquid crystalline (LC) unit between regions with and without an external electric field E. In modelling, we use Landau-de Gennes mesoscopic approach, focusing on the temperature regime where isotropic (paranematic) and nematic phase order compete. We determined conditions enabling a large enough value of ΔT suitable for potential applications. In particular, (i) the vicinity of the paranematic-nematic (P–N) phase transition, (ii) large enough latent heat of the transition, (iii) strong enough applied external field (exceeding the critical field Ec at which the P–N transition becomes gradual), and (iv) relatively short contact times between LC unit and heat sink and heat source reservoirs are advantageous. Our analysis reveals that Δ T >> 1K could be achieved using appropriate LC material.
Ključne besede: liquid crystals, electrocaloric effect, phase behavior
Objavljeno v DKUM: 18.09.2024; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 2
Celotno besedilo (3,23 MB)
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Opis: We study numerically the reconfiguration process of colliding |m|=1/2 strength disclinations in an achiral nematic liquid crystal (NLC). A Landau–de Gennes approach in terms of tensor nematic-order parameters is used. Initially, different pairs {m1,m2} of parallel wedge disclination lines connecting opposite substrates confining the NLC in a plane-parallel cell of a thickness h are imposed: {1/2,1/2}, {−1/2,−1/2} and {−1/2,1/2}. The collisions are imposed by the relative rotation of the azimuthal angle θ of the substrates that strongly pin the defect end points. Pairs {1/2,1/2} and {−1/2,−1/2} “rewire” at the critical angle θ(1)c=3π/4 in all cases studied. On the other hand, two qualitatively different scenarios are observed for {−1/2,1/2}. In the thinner film regime ℎ<ℎc, the disclinations rewire at θ(2)c=5π/4. The rewiring process is mediated by an additional chargeless loop nucleated in the middle of the cell. In the regime ℎ>ℎc, the colliding disclinations at θ(2)c reconfigure into boojum-like twist disclinations.
Ključne besede: liquid crystals, topological defects, disclinations, reconfiguration
Objavljeno v DKUM: 28.03.2024; Ogledov: 177; Prenosov: 18
Celotno besedilo (7,16 MB)
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Opis: In this thesis, we study the structure and optical transmission properties of the twist-bend nematic liquid crystalline phase, made of bent dimers, confined in thin planar cells. Confinement leads to the formation of a periodic modulated structure, the formation of which is explained as follows. The twist-bend nematic phase is characterized by a heliconical modulation of the molecular long axes. Due to a short pitch of modulation (approximately 10 nm), the twist-bend nematic phase behaves as a pseudo-layered medium. At temperatures below the nematic – twist-bend nematic phase transition, the heliconical pitch and thus the thickness of the pseudo-layers reduces, which leads to a two-dimensional undulation of pseudo-layers in the direction perpendicular to the cell surfaces and along the surfaces. The undulated structure is responsible for a stripe texture observed under a polarizing microscope and acts as a diffraction grating. We constructed theoretical models to predict the pseudo-layer structure of a confined twist-bend nematic phase and to describe the properties of light diffracted on such cells. The free energy of the two-dimensional pseudo-layer structure of the twist-bend nematic phase is expressed in terms of the nematic director field, by which we describe the direction of the heliconical axis, and a complex smectic order parameter, the gradient of which gives the direction of the layer normal. At first, we assume that pseudo-layers are perpendicular to the surfaces (bookshelf geometry) and find a stable structure by assuming an ansatz for the pseudo-layer displacement from the bookshelf geometry and then minimizing the free energy at a very strong and very weak surface anchoring. In this way a threshold condition for the onset of the modulated structure is obtained, as well as the amplitude and period of modulation. Next, we assume that, at the onset of the twist-bend nematic phase, pseudo-layers are formed at some angle (pre-tilt) with respect to the surface. We find that in both cases, the bookshelf and pre-tilted one, the calculated period of modulation far from the phase transition is always approximately twice the cell thickness, which agrees with experimental observations. The properties of light diffracted by the spontaneously formed grating were studied both experimentally and theoretically. We measured the intensity and polarization properties of the first two orders of the diffracted light and the temperature dependence of the polarization of the second order diffraction peaks. To predict the observed properties of the diffracted light and to simplify the description of such gratings, we consider different preliminary models of a one-dimensional spatial variation of the optic axis, the direction of which is given by two angles. A transfer matrix method is used and a good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results is obtained. In a more comprehensive approach, we determine the spatial variation of the optic axis direction from the modeled structure. The electric field in the diffracted light is obtained by using the transfer matrix method and beam propagation method. In the case of a pre-tilt of the pseudo-layers and very strong surface anchoring both methods give good qualitative agreement with experimental results, only in the case of the temperature dependence of the second order diffraction peaks, a more complex beam propagation method is superior to the transfer matrix method. The thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, we focus on the physical properties of the twist-bend nematic phase and its structure in thin planar cells. In the second part, a continuum model is proposed and finally, the properties of diffracted light are discussed and theoretically predicted by using the beam propagation method and transfer matrix method.
Ključne besede: Bent-dimer liquid crystals, twist-bend nematic phase, undulation of pseudo-layers, polarization, diffraction grating, beam propagation method, transfer matrix method.
Objavljeno v DKUM: 21.10.2021; Ogledov: 1359; Prenosov: 89
Celotno besedilo (10,65 MB)