Nanoscale interfacial defect shedding in a growing nematic droplet

Sebastian Gurevich, Nikolas Provatas, and Alejandro Rey
Phys. Rev. E 96, 022707 – Published 11 August 2017

Abstract

Interfacial defect shedding is the most recent known mechanism for defect formation in a thermally driven isotropic-to-nematic phase transition. It manifests in nematic-isotropic interfaces going through an anchoring switch. Numerical computations in planar geometry established that a growing nematic droplet can undergo interfacial defect shedding, nucleating interfacial defect structures that shed into the bulk as +12 point defects. By extending the study of interfacial defect shedding in a growing nematic droplet to larger length and time scales, and to three dimensions, we unveil an oscillatory growth mode involving shape and anchoring transitions that results in a controllable regular distributions of point defects in planar geometry, and complex structures of disclination lines in three dimensions.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
2 More
  • Received 31 March 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.96.022707

©2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Polymers & Soft Matter

Authors & Affiliations

Sebastian Gurevich1,2, Nikolas Provatas2, and Alejandro Rey1

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
  • 2Department of Physics, Centre for the Physics of Materials, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 96, Iss. 2 — August 2017

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review E

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×