Emergent biaxiality in chiral hybrid liquid crystals. Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Biaxial nematic liquid crystals are fascinating systems sometimes referred to as the Higgs boson of soft matter because of experimental observation challenges. Here we describe unexpected states of matter that feature biaxial orientational order of colloidal supercritical fluids and gases formed by sparse rodlike particles. Colloidal rods with perpendicular surface boundary conditions exhibit a strong biaxial symmetry breaking when doped into conventional chiral nematic fluids. Minimization of free energy prompts these particles to orient perpendicular to the local molecular director and the helical axis, thereby imparting biaxiality on the hybrid molecular-colloidal system. The ensuing phase diagram features colloidal gas and liquid and supercritical colloidal fluid states with long-range biaxial orientational symmetry, as supported by analytical and numerical modeling at all hierarchical levels of ordering. Unlike for nonchiral hybrid systems, dispersions in chiral nematic hosts display biaxial orientational order at vanishing colloid volume fractions, promising both technological and fundamental research utility.

publication date

  • November 16, 2024

has restriction

  • gold

Date in CU Experts

  • November 27, 2024 11:45 AM

Full Author List

  • Wu J-S; Lázaro MT; Mundoor H; Wensink HH; Smalyukh II

author count

  • 5

Other Profiles

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 2041-1723

Additional Document Info

start page

  • 9941

volume

  • 15

issue

  • 1