Nematic-Smectic Transition in Spherical Shells
Nematic-Smectic Transition in Spherical Shells
复制标题
DOI：
10.1103/physrevlett.106.247802
复制
发表时间：
2011-06-15
影响因子：
8.6
通讯作者：
Blanc, Christophe
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lopez-Leon, Teresa;Fernandez-Nieves, Alberto;Blanc, Christophe
本文研究了局限于球壳内的热致液晶的向列-近晶相变。远离向列相-近晶相转变温度T-NS，我们观察到具有四个+1/2缺陷的构型，正如理论预测的那样。由于在这种情况下，K-1近似于K-3，四个缺陷被限制在壳的最薄部分，以最小化与缺陷核相关的能量。相比之下，在T-NS附近，其中K-3 >> K-1，弯曲畸变被禁止，并且缺陷沿着球体的一个大圆组织起来，证实了最近的理论和模拟结果。在这种结构变化过程中，缺陷以两对独立行为的方式相关联。在近晶相，我们观察到一个新的配置显示曲率壁。
We study the nematic-smectic phase transition of a thermotropic liquid crystal confined to a spherical shell. Far from the nematic-smectic phase transition temperature, T-NS, we observe a configuration with four +1/2 defects, as predicted by theory. Since in this case K-1 approximate to K-3, the four defects are confined at the thinnest part of the shell to minimize the energy associated with the defect cores. By contrast, near T-NS, where K-3 >> K-1, bend distortions become prohibited and the defects organize themselves along a great circle of the sphere, confirming recent theoretical and simulation results. During this structural change, the defects associate in two pairs that behave independently. In the smectic phase, we observe a new configuration displaying curvature walls.