Related papers: Capturing the helical to spiral transitions in thi…
We derive a reduced quasi-one-dimensional theory of geometrically frustrated elastic ribbons. Expressed in terms of geometric properties alone, it applies to ribbons over a wide range of scales, allowing the study of their elastic…
When liquid-crystalline elastomers pass through the isotropic-nematic transition, the orientational order parameter and the elastic strain vary rapidly but smoothly, without the expected first-order discontinuity. This broadening of the…
Elastic valley metamaterials offer an excellent platform to manipulate elastic waves and have potential applications in energy harvesting and elastography. Here we introduce a series of strategies to realize topological transition in spiral…
We describe a 2D spring-block model for the transition from static to kinetic friction at an elastic slider/rigid substrate interface obeying a minimalistic friction law (Amontons-Coulomb). By using realistic boundary conditions, a number…
We theoretically study the conformations of a helical semi-flexible filament confined to a flat surface. This squeezed helix exhibits a variety of unexpected shapes resembling circles, waves or spirals depending on the material parameters.…
Based on our previous paper [cond-mat/0507477], we establish a general model for the whip-toroid transitions of a semiflexible homopolymer chain using the path integral method and the O(3) nonlinear sigma model on a line segment with the…
A system that possesses translational symmetry but breaks orientational symmetry is known as a nematic phase. While there are many examples of nematic phases in a wide range of contexts, such as in liquid crystals, complex oxides, and…
We study the kinetics of the nematic-isotropic transition in a two-dimensional liquid crystal by using a lattice Boltzmann scheme that couples the tensor order parameter and the flow consistently. Unlike in previous studies, we find the…
The nonlinear elastic properties of nematic liquid crystals have acquired new interest with the recent experimental observation of bulk modulated nematic phases which are composed by achiral molecules. We extend the Oseen-Zocher-Frank's…
The low-energy physics of (quasi)degenerate one-dimensional systems is typically understood as the particle-like dynamics of kinks between stable, ordered structures. Such dynamics, we show, becomes highly non-trivial when the ground states…
In this work we present a simple qualitative model to describe shear rheological behavior of the twist-bend nematic liquid crystals. We find that at relatively low shear rate the effective viscosity decreases with the shear rate manifesting…
Dynamos wherein magnetic field is produced from velocity fluctuations are fundamental to our understanding of several astrophysical and/or laboratory phenomena. Though fluid helicity is known to play a key role in the onset of dynamo…
Differential growth processes play a prominent role in shaping leaves and biological tissues. Using both analytical and numerical calculations, we consider the shapes of closed, elastic strips which have been subjected to an inhomogeneous…
Unlike macroscopic multistable mechanical systems such as snap bracelets or elastic shells that must be physically manipulated into various conformations, microscopic systems can undergo spontaneous conformation switching between…
We formulate a phenomenological elasto-plastic theory to describe a solid undergoing a structural transition from a square (p4mm) to an oblique (p2) lattice in two dimensions. Within our theory, the components of the strain may be…
We study geometrically-controlled twist transitions of a nematic confined between a sinusoidal grating and a flat substrate. In these cells the transition to the twisted state is driven by surface effects. We have identified the mechanisms…
Twisted ribbons subjected to a tension exhibit a remarkably rich morphology, from smooth and wrinkled helicoids, to cylindrical or faceted patterns. These shapes are intimately related to the instability of the natural, helicoidal symmetry…
We theoretically study the nematic ordering transition of rods that are able to elastically adjust their mutually excluded volumes. The model rods, which consist of a hard core surrounded by a deformable shell, mimic the structure of…
We study the motion of a ferromagnetic helical nanostructure under the action of a rotating magnetic field. A variety of dynamical configurations were observed that depended strongly on the direction of magnetization and the geometrical…
Predicting the macroscopic mechanical behavior of polymeric materials from the micro-structural features has remained a challenge for decades. Existing theoretical models often fail to accurately capture the experimental data, due to…