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Related papers: Nematics, Knots and Non-orientable Surfaces

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The purpose of this paper is to discuss how topology and geometry provide, in many instances, the connective tissue that enables logical comprehension. We illustrate this theme with many examples including Venn diagrams, knot diagrams,…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2015-08-26 Louis H. Kauffman

This paper examines the relationship between the knotting of an embedded surface in $\R^3$ and the knotting of its fold curves, formed by the singular set of projection to a plane. The first result shows that every surface, no matter how…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2025-11-14 Joel Hass

Knot contact homology is an invariant of knots derived from Legendrian contact homology which has numerous connections to the knot group. We use basic properties of knot groups to prove that knot contact homology detects every torus knot.…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2015-09-08 Cameron Gordon , Tye Lidman

We show that topological defects in an ion-doped nematic liquid crystal can be used to manipulate the surface charge distribution on chemically homogeneous, charge-regulating external surfaces, using a minimal theoretical model. In…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2020-07-16 Miha Ravnik , Jeffrey C. Everts

Colloids self-assemble into various organized superstructures determined by particle interactions. There is a tremendous progress in both the scientific understanding and applications of self-assemblies of single-type identical particles.…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2016-09-23 Chenhui Peng , Taras Turiv , Yubing Guo , Sergij V. Shiyanovskii , Qi-Huo Wei , Oleg D. Lavrentovich

Non-Hermitian systems have been discussed mostly in the context of open systems and nonequilibrium. Recent experimental progress is much from optical, cold-atomic, and classical platforms due to the vast tunability and clear identification…

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics · Physics 2024-01-25 Xiao-Xiao Zhang , Naoto Nagaosa

The introduction of topology unravels a new chapter of physics. Topological systems provide unique edge/interfacial quantum states which are expected to contribute to the development of novel spintronics and open the door to robust quantum…

In this article, we unravel an intimate relationship between two seemingly unrelated concepts: elasticity, that defines the local relations between stress and strain of deformable bodies, and topology that classifies their global shape.…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2019-12-25 Denis Bartolo , David Carpentier

Given a knot in $S^3$, one can associate to it a surface diffeomorphism in two different ways. First, an arbitrary knot in $S^{3}$ can be represented by braids, which can be thought of as diffeomorphisms of punctured disks. Second, if the…

The transition from a nematic to an isotropic state in a self-closing spherical liquid crystal shell with tangential alignment is a stimulating phenomenon to investigate, as the topology dictates that the shell exhibits local isotropic…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2024-02-02 Yucen Han , Jan Lagerwall , Apala Majumdar

Liquid crystals are synthetic and biological viscoelastic anisotropic soft matter materials that combine liquid fluidity with crystal anisotropy and find use in optical devices, sensor/actuators, lubrication, super-fibers. Frequently…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2013-11-22 Ezequiel R. Soule , Alejandro D. Rey

The topological properties of many materials are central to their behavior, with the dynamics of topological defects being particularly important to intrinsically out-of-equilibrium, active materials. In this paper, local manipulation of…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2019-11-01 David P. Rivas , Tyler N. Shendruk , Robert R. Henry , Daniel H. Reich , Robert L. Leheny

We propose an experimental scheme to construct an optical lattice where the atoms are confined to the surface of a torus. This construction can be realized with spatially shaped laser beams which could be realized with recently developed…

Quantum Gases · Physics 2018-10-03 Hwanmun Kim , Guanyu Zhu , J. V. Porto , Mohammad Hafezi

Disclinations lines play a key role in many physical processes, from the fracture of materials to the formation of the early universe. Achieving versatile control over disclinations is key to developing novel electro-optical devices,…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2023-06-28 Alvin Modin , Biswarup Ash , Kelsey Ishimoto , Robert L. Leheny , Francesca Serra , Hillel Aharoni

The anchoring of nematic liquid crystals on surfaces with grafted liquid crystalline chain molecules is studied by computer simulations and within a mean field approach. The computer simulations show that a swollen layer of collectively…

Materials Science · Physics 2009-11-07 Harald Lange , Friederike Schmid

The effective interaction between spherical colloids in nematic liquid crystals is investigated in the framework of the Landau-de Gennes theory. The colloids differ through their interaction with the nematic. While both particles induce…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2012-05-04 Z. Eskandari , N. M. Silvestre , M. Tasinkevych , M. M. Telo da Gama

Topology is revolutionizing photonics, bringing with it new theoretical discoveries and a wealth of potential applications. This field was inspired by the discovery of topological insulators, in which interfacial electrons transport without…

Optics · Physics 2014-11-04 Ling Lu , John D. Joannopoulos , Marin Soljačić

In this paper, knot physics on entangled vortex-membranes are studied including classification, knot dynamics and effective theory. The physics objects in this paper are entangled vortex-membranes that are called composite knot-crystals.…

General Physics · Physics 2018-04-04 Su-Peng Kou

Vortex knots have been seen decaying in many physical systems. Here we describe topologically protected vortex knots, which remain stable and undergo fusion and fission while conserving a topological invariant analogous to that of baryon…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2025-08-11 Darian Hall , Jung-Shen Benny Tai , Louis H. Kauffman , Ivan I. Smalyukh

Topology is a powerful framework for controlling and manipulating light, minimizing detrimental perturbations on the photonic properties. Combining nanophotonics with topological concepts presents opportunities for both fundamental physics…

Optics · Physics 2025-08-29 Grazia Salerno