Monte Carlo simulations of nematic and chiral nematic shells

Charlie R. Wand and Martin A. Bates
Phys. Rev. E 91, 012502 – Published 7 January 2015

Abstract

We present a systematic Monte Carlo simulation study of thin nematic and cholesteric shells with planar anchoring using an off-lattice model. The results obtained using the simple model correspond with previously published results for lattice-based systems, with the number, type, and position of defects observed dependent on the shell thickness with four half-strength defects in a tetrahedral arrangement found in very thin shells and a pair of defects in a bipolar (boojum) configuration observed in thicker shells. A third intermediate defect configuration is occasionally observed for intermediate thickness shells, which is stabilized in noncentrosymmetric shells of nonuniform thickness. Chiral nematic (cholesteric) shells are investigated by including a chiral term in the potential. Decreasing the pitch of the chiral nematic leads to a twisted bipolar (chiral boojum) configuration with the director twist increasing from the inner to the outer surface.

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  • Received 20 October 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.91.012502

©2015 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Charlie R. Wand* and Martin A. Bates

  • Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom

  • *charlie.wand@oxon.org
  • martin.bates@york.ac.uk

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Vol. 91, Iss. 1 — January 2015

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