Unknown

Dataset Information

0

Splitting, linking, knotting, and solitonic escape of topological defects in nematic drops with handles.


ABSTRACT: Topologically nontrivial field excitations, including solitonic, linked, and knotted structures, play important roles in physical systems ranging from classical fluids and liquid crystals, to electromagnetism, classic, and quantum field theories. These excitations can appear spontaneously during symmetry-breaking phase transitions. For example, in cosmological theories, cosmic strings may have formed knotted configurations influencing the Early Universe development, whereas in liquid crystals transient tangled defect lines were observed during isotropic-nematic transitions, eventually relaxing to defect-free states. Knotted and solitonic fields and defects were also obtained using optical manipulation, complex-shaped colloids, and frustrated cholesterics. Here we use confinement of nematic liquid crystal by closed surfaces with varied genus and perpendicular boundary conditions for a robust control of appearance and stability of such field excitations. Theoretical modeling and experiments reveal structure of defect lines as a function of the surface topology and material and geometric parameters, establishing a robust means of controlling solitonic, knotted, linked, and other field excitations.

SUBMITTER: Tasinkevych M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4246280 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

altmetric image

Publications

Splitting, linking, knotting, and solitonic escape of topological defects in nematic drops with handles.

Tasinkevych Mykola M   Campbell Michael G MG   Smalyukh Ivan I II  

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20141104 46


Topologically nontrivial field excitations, including solitonic, linked, and knotted structures, play important roles in physical systems ranging from classical fluids and liquid crystals, to electromagnetism, classic, and quantum field theories. These excitations can appear spontaneously during symmetry-breaking phase transitions. For example, in cosmological theories, cosmic strings may have formed knotted configurations influencing the Early Universe development, whereas in liquid crystals tr  ...[more]

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC10387112 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3677424 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC8573773 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC8356798 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC5530672 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC9088217 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC5459947 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC5711923 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6927531 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC8408232 | biostudies-literature