Generalized Liquid Crystals: Giant Fluctuations and the Vestigial Chiral Order of I, O, and T Matter
Generalized Liquid Crystals: Giant Fluctuations and the Vestigial Chiral Order of I, O, and T Matter
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DOI：
10.1103/physrevx.6.041025
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发表时间：
2016-10-31
影响因子：
12.5
通讯作者：
Zaanen, Jan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Liu, Ke;Nissinen, Jaakko;Zaanen, Jan
自世纪后期以来，液晶的物理学一直是深入研究的主题。然而，这种追求的重点一直集中在单轴和双轴向列相与成分轴承D-无穷大h或D-2 h对称性，分别。然而，从一般对称性的观点来看，这些是非常特殊的，因为π阶原则上可以包含任何点群对称性。鉴于在定制具有特定形状和相互作用的纳米粒子方面的进展，这个庞大的“广义向列体”家族可能在实验室中变得可用。很少有人知道，因为与高度对称的点群的序参数理论是非常复杂的，涉及高阶张量序参数。在这里，我们表明，这种系统的统计物理的一般特征可以研究在一个高度灵活和有效的方式使用从高能物理学借用的数学工具：离散非阿贝尔规范理论。解释，我们构建了一个家庭的格点规范模型封装一般三维点群对称性的有序。我们发现，最对称的广义向列相受到前所未有的严重程度的热波动。因此，新形式的波动现象成为可能。特别是，我们证明了残留相携带不超过手征顺序变得无处不在离开高点群对称手性积木，如I，O和T对称的物质。
The physics of nematic liquid crystals has been the subject of intensive research since the late 19th century. However, the focus of this pursuit has been centered around uniaxial and biaxial nematics associated with constituents bearing a D-infinity h or D-2h symmetry, respectively. In view of general symmetries, however, these are singularly special since nematic order can in principle involve any point-group symmetry. Given the progress in tailoring nanoparticles with particular shapes and interactions, this vast family of "generalized nematics" might become accessible in the laboratory. Little is known because the order parameter theories associated with the highly symmetric point groups are remarkably complicated, involving tensor order parameters of high rank. Here, we show that the generic features of the statistical physics of such systems can be studied in a highly flexible and efficient fashion using a mathematical tool borrowed from high-energy physics: discrete non-Abelian gauge theory. Explicitly, we construct a family of lattice gauge models encapsulating nematic ordering of general three-dimensional point-group symmetries. We find that the most symmetrical generalized nematics are subjected to thermal fluctuations of unprecedented severity. As a result, novel forms of fluctuation phenomena become possible. In particular, we demonstrate that a vestigial phase carrying no more than chiral order becomes ubiquitous departing from high point-group symmetry chiral building blocks, such as I, O, and T symmetric matter.