Related papers: Composite Dislocations in Smectic Liquid Crystals
Dislocation nucleation in homogeneous crystals initially unfolds as a linear symmetry-breaking elastic instability. In the absence of explicit nucleation centers, such instability develops simultaneously all over the crystal and due to the…
This paper develops a geometrical model of dislocations and disclinations in single crystals at the mesoscopic scale. In the continuation of previous work the distribution theory is used to represent concentrated effects in the defect lines…
In thin films of smectic-C liquid crystals, localized regions containing additional smectic layers form circular inclusions that carry a topological charge. Such inclusions nucleate a companion topological defect. These inclusion-defect…
We investigate experimentally and numerically the defect configurations emerging when a cholesteric liquid crystal is confined to a spherical shell. We uncover a rich scenario of defect configurations, some of them non-existent in nematic…
This work unravels the atomic details of the interaction of solute atoms with nanoscale crystalline defects. The complexity of this phenomenon is elucidated through detailed atom probe tomographic investigations on epitaxially-strained,…
A discrete model describing defects in crystal lattices and having the standard linear anisotropic elasticity as its continuum limit is proposed. The main ingredients entering the model are the elastic stiffness constants of the material…
Dislocations play a key role in the understanding of many phenomena in solid state physics, materials science, crystallography and engineering. Dislocations are line defects producing distortions and self-stresses in an otherwise perfect…
Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials hosting dislocations have attracted considerable research attention in recent years. In particular, screw dislocations can result in a spiral topology and an interlayer twist in the layered materials,…
Topological defects -- locations of local mismatch of order -- are a universal concept playing important roles in diverse systems studied in physics and beyond, including the universe, various condensed matter systems, and recently, even…
Linear defects such as dislocations and disclinations in ordered materials attract foreign particles since they replace strong elastic distortions at the defect cores. In this work, we explore the behavior of isotropic droplets nucleating…
Smectic materials represent a unique state between fluids and solids, characterized by orientational and partial positional order, making them notoriously difficult to model, particularly in confining geometries. We propose a complex order…
Observing and characterizing the complex ordering phenomena of liquid crystals subjected to external constraints constitutes an ongoing challenge for chemists and physicists alike. To elucidate the delicate balance appearing when the…
The goal of this work is to show that, mathematically, screw dislocation loops with distinct topological properties can be introduced locally on a given smectic liquid crystal configuration. Concretely, given a configuration, we show that a…
The electric field applied perpendicularly to smectic layers breaks the rotational symmetry of the system. Consequently, the elastic energy associated with distortions induced by an edge dislocation diverges logarithmically with the size of…
We propose a general formalism to characterize orientational frustration of smectic liquid crystals in confinement by interpreting the emerging networks of grain boundaries as objects with a topological charge. In a formal idealization,…
Recent liquid-crystalline (LC) research is focused on structurally new molecular systems distinct from simple nematic or smectic phases. Sophisticated molecular shape may reveal structural complexity, combining helicity and polarity.…
New aspects of a relation between lattice and dislocation structures are examined within a physically transparent theoretical scheme. Predicted features originating from the lattice discreteness include: (i) multiple core dislocation…
Topological defects are a universal concept across many disciplines, such as crystallography, liquid-crystalline physics, low-temperature physics, cosmology, and even biology. In nematic liquid crystals, topological defects called…
Linear complexions are defect phases that form in the presence of dislocations and thus are promising for the direct control of plasticity. In this study, atomistic simulations are used to model the effect of linear complexions on…
The interaction of two screw dislocations in smectic-A liquid crystals is treated using an anharmonic correction to the elastic energy density. In the present contribution the elastic energy and the force between two screw dislocations is…