Behavior of colloidal particles at an air/nematic liquid crystal interface
Soft Condensed Matter
2010-07-06 v1
Abstract
We examine the behavior of spherical silica particles trapped at an air-nematic liquid crystal interface. When a strong normal anchoring is imposed, the beads spontaneously form various structures depending on their area density and the nematic thickness. Using optical tweezers, we determine the pair potential and explain the formation of these patterns. The energy profile is discussed in terms of capillary and elastic interactions. Finally, we detail the mechanisms that control the formation of an hexagonal lattice and analyze the role of gravity for curved interfaces.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1007.0585,
title = {Behavior of colloidal particles at an air/nematic liquid crystal interface},
author = {M. A. Gharbi and M. Nobili and M. In and G. Prévot and P. Galatola and J. B. Fournier and Ch. Blanc},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1007.0585},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
4 page, 4 figure