Related papers: Complex-tensor theory of simple smectics
We present a self-consistent theory of Anderson localization that yields a simple algorithm to obtain \emph{typical local density of states} as an order parameter, thereby reproducing the essential features of a phase-diagram of…
A phenomenological model of the evolution of an ensemble of interacting dislocations in an isotropic elastic medium is formulated. The line-defect microstructure is described in terms of a spatially coarse-grained order parameter, the…
The discovery of fluid states of matter with spontaneous bulk polar order is appreciated as a major discovery in the fields of soft matter and liquid crystals. Typically, this manifests as polar order superimposed atop conventional phase…
Physical systems are frequently modeled as sets of points in space, each representing the position of an atom, molecule, or mesoscale particle. As many properties of such systems depend on the underlying ordering of their constituent…
We discuss some interesting physical features stemming from our previous analytical study of a simple model of a fluid with dipolar-like interactions of very short range in addition to the usual isotropic Baxter potential for adhesive…
The order parameters for the phenomenological description of the smectic-{\it A} to smectic-{\it C} phase transition are formulated on the basis of molecular symmetry and structure. It is shown that, unless the long molecular axis is an…
Order parameters based on spherical harmonics and Fourier coefficients already play a significant role in condensed matter research in the context of systems of spherical or point particles. Here, we extend these types of order parameter to…
A flux liquid can condense into a smectic crystal in a pure layered superconductor with the magnetic field oriented nearly parallel to the layers. Similar order can arise in low temperature $^4$He films with a highly anisotropic periodic…
We use a series of molecular dynamics simulations, and analytical theory, to demonstrate that a system of hard spheres confined to a narrow cylindrical channel exhibits a continuous phase transition from an isotropic fluid at low densities,…
In order to address the selection mechanism that is responsible for the unique lamellar orientation observed in block copolymers under oscillatory shears, we use a constitutive law for the dissipative part of the stress tensor that respects…
Liquid crystals (LCs) composed of mesogens play important roles in various scientific and engineering problems. How a system with many mesogens can enter a LC state is an interesting and important problem. Using stiff and free-joint…
When thermal energies are weak, two dimensional lamellar structures confined on a curved substrate display complex patterns arising from the competition between layer bending and compression in the presence of geometric constraints. We…
The search of unconventional magnetic and nonmagnetic states is a major topic in the study of frustrated magnetism. Canonical examples of those states include various spin liquids and spin nematics. However, discerning their existence and…
Semiflexible polymers in concentrated lyotropic solution are studied within a bead-spring model by molecular dynamics simulations, focusing on the emergence of a smectic A phase and its properties. We systematically vary the density of the…
Due to the lack of long-range order, it remains challenging to characterize the structure of disordered solids and understand the nature of the glass transition. Here we propose a new structural order parameter by taking into account…
How condensed-matter simulations depend on the number of molecules being simulated ($N$) is sometimes itself a valuable piece of information. Liquid crystals provide a case in point. Light scattering and $2d$-IR experiments on…
A generalized notion of a nonlocal tensor order parameter is introduced within the framework of the phenomenological approach. This parameter has the form of a traceless tensor correlation function or a tensor integral operator. Based on…
The concepts of topology have a profound impact on physics research spanning the fields of condensed matter, photonics and acoustics and predicting topological states that provide unprecedented versatility in routing and control of waves of…
Novel "smectic-P" behavior, in which self-propelled particles form rows and move on average along them, occurs generically within the orientationally-ordered phase of simple models that we simulate. Both apolar (head-tail symmetric) and…
Grain boundaries in extremely confined colloidal smectics possess a topological fine structure with coexisting nematic and tetratic symmetry of the director field. An alternative way to approach the problem of smectic topology is via the…