TY - JOUR
T1 - Nematic liquid crystals on spherical surfaces
T2 - Control of defect configurations by temperature, density, and rod shape
AU - Dhakal, Subas
AU - Solis, Francisco J.
AU - Olvera De La Cruz, Monica
PY - 2012/7/23
Y1 - 2012/7/23
N2 - Recent experiments have shown that defect conformations in spherical nematic liquid crystals can be controlled through variations of temperature, shell thickness, and other environmental parameters. These modifications can be understood as a result of the induced changes in the effective elastic constants of the system. To characterize the relation between defect conformations and elastic anisotropy, we carry out Monte Carlo simulations of a nematic on a spherical surface. As the anisotropy is increased, the defects flow from a tetrahedral arrangement to two coalescing pairs and then to a great circle configuration. We also analyze this flow using a variational method based on harmonic configurations.
AB - Recent experiments have shown that defect conformations in spherical nematic liquid crystals can be controlled through variations of temperature, shell thickness, and other environmental parameters. These modifications can be understood as a result of the induced changes in the effective elastic constants of the system. To characterize the relation between defect conformations and elastic anisotropy, we carry out Monte Carlo simulations of a nematic on a spherical surface. As the anisotropy is increased, the defects flow from a tetrahedral arrangement to two coalescing pairs and then to a great circle configuration. We also analyze this flow using a variational method based on harmonic configurations.
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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.011709
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.011709
M3 - Article
C2 - 23005439
AN - SCOPUS:84864427511
SN - 1539-3755
VL - 86
JO - Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
JF - Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
IS - 1
M1 - 011709
ER -