Related papers: Curvature-controlled defect localization in crysta…
Topological defects are an essential part of the structure and dynamics of all liquid crystals, and they are particularly important in experiments and simulations on active liquid crystals. In a recent paper, Vromans and Giomi [Soft Matter,…
The mechanical response of almost pure single-crystal micro-pillars under compression exhibits a highly localized behavior that can endanger the structural stability of a sample. Recent experiments revealed that the mechanical response of a…
Chirality plays a crucial role in determining the structure of many systems in nature. Twisted or helical aggregates as a consequence of self-assembly can be seen in many biological and synthetic materials. Despite extensive theoretical and…
Elastic capsules, prepared from droplets or bubbles attached to a capillary (as in a pendant drop tensiometer), can be deflated by suction through the capillary. We study this deflation and show that a combined analysis of the shape and…
Turing patterns emerge from a spatially uniform state following a linear instability driven by diffusion. Features of the eventual pattern (stabilized by non-linearities) are already present in the initial unstable modes. On a uniform flat…
The assembly of colloids in nematic liquid crystals via topological defects has been extensively studied for spherical particles, and investigations of other colloid shapes have revealed a wide array of new assembly behaviors. We show,…
Geometry and topology play a fundamental role in determining pattern formation on 2D surfaces in condensed matter physics. For example, local positive Gaussian curvature of a 2D surface attracts positive topological defects in a liquid…
Asymmetries and anisotropies are widespread in biological systems, including in the structure and dynamics of cilia and eukaryotic flagella. These microscopic, hair-like appendages exhibit asymmetric beating patterns that break…
The wrinkling of thin elastic objects provides a means of generating regular patterning at small scales in applications ranging from photovoltaics to microfluidic devices. Static wrinkle patterns are known to be governed by an energetic…
Voids can limit the life of engineering components. This motivates us to understand local plasticity around voids in a nickel base superalloy combining experiments and simulations. Single crystal samples were deformed in tension with…
The discovery of configurational forces acting on elastic structures and its initial applications are reviewed. Configurational forces are related to the possibility that an elastic structure can change its configuration, thus inducing a…
Topological defects, or singularities, play a key role in the statics and dynamics of complex systems. In magnetism, Bloch point singularities represent point defects that mediate the nucleation of textures such as skyrmions and hopfions.…
The interfacial tension of a liquid droplet surrounded by another liquid in the presence of microscopic ions is studied as a function of the droplet radius. An analytical expression for the interfacial tension is obtained within a linear…
In layered materials, a common mode of deformation involves buckling of the layers under tensile deformation in the direction perpendicular to the layers. The instability mechanism, which operates in elastic materials from geological to…
Knitted fabrics exhibit high flexibility due to their periodic loop structures formed by bent yarns. Under compressive loading, they develop three-dimensional (3D) wrinkling patterns that reflect nonlinear interactions between yarn…
We formulate a theory of electrostatic interactions in lipid bilayer membranes where both monolayer leaflets contain dissociable moieties that are subject to charge regulation. We specifically investigate the coupling between membrane…
We investigate the mechanical response of a compressed monolayer of large and dense particles at a liquid-fluid interface: a granular raft. Upon compression, rafts first wrinkle; then, as the confinement increases, the deformation localizes…
We present a general theory for the equilibrium structure of cylindrical tubules and helical ribbons of chiral lipid membranes. This theory is based on a continuum elastic free energy that permits variations in the direction of molecular…
We explore the effect of stacking fault defects on the transmission of forces in three-dimensional face-centered-cubic granular crystals. An external force is applied to a small area at the top surface of a crystalline packing of granular…
Cohesive assemblies of filaments are a common structural motif found in diverse contexts, ranging from biological materials such as fibrous proteins, to artificial materials such as carbon nanotube ropes and micropatterned filament arrays.…