Thermodynamics of blue phases in electric fields

Henrich, Oliver; Marenduzzo, Davide; Stratford, Kevin; Cates, Michael E.

doi:10.1103/physreve.81.031706

Cited by 30 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(86 reference statements)

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“…In Figure 2b, a labyrinth of topological defects with hexagonal symmetry prevents the formation of Skyrmion excitations. Although possible similar hexagonal structures in chiral liquid crystals have been discussed before [19][20][21][22] , they are bulk structures (without confinement) under an electric field; the difference between the local nature of the surface anchoring and the long-range nature of the electric field should be stressed. Moreover, the confinement does not allow screw axes to arise 17 , which are required for some observed and proposed bulk hexagonal structures [19][20][21][22] .…”

Section: Skyrmion Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quasi-two-dimensional Skyrmion lattices in a chiral nematic liquid crystal

2011

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skyrmions are particle-like topological entities in a continuous field that have an important role in various condensed matter systems, including two-dimensional electron gases exhibiting the quantum Hall effect, chiral ferromagnets and Bose-Einstein condensates. Here we show theoretically, with the aid of numerical methods, that a highly chiral nematic liquid crystal can accommodate a quasi-two-dimensional skyrmion lattice as a thermodynamically stable state, when it is confined to a thin film between two parallel surfaces imposing normal alignment. A chiral nematic liquid crystal film can thus serve as a model skyrmion system, allowing direct investigation of their structural properties by a variety of optical techniques at room temperatures that are less demanding than skyrmion systems discussed previously.

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Section: Skyrmion Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quasi-two-dimensional Skyrmion lattices in a chiral nematic liquid crystal

2011

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“…Beyond this initial phase, numerical solutions are often required due to the complexity of the governing equations (1) and (2). We use a hybrid lattice-Boltzmann (LB) algorithm to solve this system of coupled partial differential equations [34].…”

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confidence: 99%

Morphological evolution of domains in spinodal decomposition

Datt

Thampi²,

Govindarajan

2015

Phys. Rev. E

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Domain growth in spinodal decomposition is usually described by a single time-evolving length scale. We show that the evolution of morphology of domains is nonmonotonic. The domains elongate rapidly at first and then, with the help of hydrodynamics, return to a more circular shape. The initial elongation phase does not alter with hydrodynamics. A small deviation from critical composition changes the morphology dramatically.

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“…Diffusive relaxation of the order parameter then causes additional dissipation, resulting in an effective viscosity that can be much higher than the intrinsic Newtonian contribution. Our dynamical equations are solved using a combination of a finite difference scheme for the convection-diffusion equation, and the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) 33 for the Navier-Stokes equation 23,[34][35][36][37] . We use sliding periodic (Lees-Edwards) boundary conditions for both the convectiondiffusion and the Navier-Stokes equations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rheology of lamellar liquid crystals in two and three dimensions: a simulation study

et al. 2012

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We present large scale computer simulations of the nonlinear bulk rheology of lamellar phases (smectic liquid crystals) at moderate to large values of the shear rate (Peclet numbers 10 − 100), in both two and three dimensions. In two dimensions we find that modest shear rates align the system and stabilise an almost regular lamellar phase, but high shear rates induce the nucleation and proliferation of defects, which in steady state is balanced by the annihilation of defects of opposite sign. The shear rateγ c at onset of this second regime is controlled by thermodynamic and kinetic parameters; we offer a scaling analysis that relatesγ c to a critical "capillary number" involving those variables. Within the defect proliferation regime, the defects may be partially annealed by slowly decreasing the applied shear rate; this causes marked memory effects, and history-dependent rheology. Simulations in three dimensions show instead shear-induced ordering even at the highest shear rates studied here. This suggests thatγ c shifts markedly upward on increasing dimensionality. This may in part reflect the reduced constraints on defect motion, allowing them to find and annihilate each other more easily. Residual edge defects in the 3D aligned state mostly point along the flow velocity, an orientation impossible in two dimensions.

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Thermodynamics of blue phases in electric fields

Cited by 30 publications

References 32 publications

Quasi-two-dimensional Skyrmion lattices in a chiral nematic liquid crystal

Quasi-two-dimensional Skyrmion lattices in a chiral nematic liquid crystal

Morphological evolution of domains in spinodal decomposition

Rheology of lamellar liquid crystals in two and three dimensions: a simulation study

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