Related papers: Topological-defect-induced surface charge heteroge…
We present analytical solutions for the electrokinetics at a charged surface with both non-zero Stern-layer conductance and finite chemical reaction rates. We have recently studied the same system numerically [Werkhoven {\em et al.}, Phys.…
The emergence of new techniques for the fabrication of nematic droplets with nontrivial topology provides new routes for the assembly of responsive devices. Here we perform a numerical study of spherical nematic droplets on fibres. We…
Quantum systems are often described by parameter-dependent Hamiltonians. Points in parameter space where two levels are degenerate can carry a topological charge. Here we theoretically study an interacting two-spin system where the…
Widely known for their uses in displays and electro-optics, liquid crystals are more than just technological marvels. They vividly reveal the topology and structure of various solitonic and singular field configurations, often markedly…
Electrified liquids are well known to be prone to a variety of interfacial instabilities that result in the onset of apparent interfacial singularities and liquid fragmentation. In the case of electrically conducting liquids, one of the…
Manipulation of the charge of the dielectric interface between two bulk liquids not only enables the adjustment of the interfacial tension but also controls the storage capacity of ions in the ionic double layers adjacent to each side of…
Topological photonics harnesses the physics of topological insulators to control the behavior of light. Photonic modes robust against material imperfections are an example of such control. In this work, we propose a soft-matter platform…
The self-propulsion of +1/2 topological defects is a hallmark of active nematic fluids, where the defects are advected by the flow field they themselves generate. In this paper we propose a minimal model for defect self-propulsion in a…
Nonlinear ionic screening theory for heterogeneously charged spheres is developed in terms of a mode-decomposition of the surface charge. A far-field analysis of the resulting electrostatic potential leads to a natural generalization of…
We investigate surface plasmons at a planar interface between a normal dielectric and a topological insulator, where the Fermi-energy lies inside the bulk gap of the topological insulator and gives rise to a two-dimensional charge…
Topological surface states, a new kind of electronic state of matter, have recently been observed on the cleaved surfaces of crystals of a handful of small band gap semiconductors. The underlying chemical factors that enable these states…
We study the ground state properties of classical Coulomb charges interacting with a 1/r potential moving on a plane but confined either by a circular hard wall boundary or by a harmonic potential. The charge density in the continuum limit…
Understanding the response of the surface of metallic solids to external electric field sources is crucial to characterize electrode-electrolyte interfaces. Continuum electrostatics offer a simple description of the induced charge density…
An electron beam may experience an anomalous spatial shift during an interface scattering process. Here, we investigate this phenomenon for reflection from mirror-symmetry-protected nodal-ring semimetals, which are characterized by an…
Platinum step edges dominate electrocatalytic activity in fuel cells and electrolysers, yet their atomistic electrochemical behaviour remains poorly understood. Here, we employ \textit{ab initio} molecular dynamics under controlled…
Chromonic liquid crystals (CLCs) are lyotropic materials which are attracting growing interest for their adaptability to living systems. A considerable body of works has been devoted to exploring their properties and applications. In this…
Although significant insights have been obtained into chemical and physical properties that govern to the performance of catalysts in traditional thermal processes, the work on electro-, photo-, or plasma-catalytic approaches has been…
Growing experimental evidence indicates that topological defects could serve as organizing centers in the morphogenesis of tissues. Here, we provide a quantitative explanation for this phenomenon, rooted in the buckling theory of deformable…
Properties of engineering materials are generally influenced by defects such as point defects (vacancies, interstitials, substitutional defects), line defects (dislocations), planar defects (grain boundaries, free surfaces/nanostructures,…
Surface properties of mixtures of charged platelike colloids and salt in contact with a charged planar wall are studied within density functional theory. The particles are modeled by hard cuboids with their edges constrained to be parallel…