Related papers: Determining the Anchoring Strength of a Capillary …
We argue that in a fluid, or magnet, confined by adsorbing walls which favour liquid, or (+) phase, the solvation (Casimir) force in the vicinity of the critical point is strongly influenced by capillary condensation which occurs below the…
In order to characterize very weak adhesive surfaces, we have developed a quantitative test inspired by the Johnson, Kendall, and Roberts adhesion test for soft adhesives, which relies on the formation and then the rupture of a capillary…
This analysis of the electroclinic effect in ferroelectric liquid crystals with a first order Smectic-$A^*$--Smectic-$C^*$ (Sm-$A^*$--Sm-$C^*$) transition, shows they can be either Type I or Type II. In temperature--field parameter space…
Shear fields due to weak gravitational lensing have characteristic coherent patterns. We describe the topological defects in shear fields in terms of the curvature of the surface described by the lensing potential. A simple interpretation…
Experimentally it is possible to manipulate the director in a (chiral) smectic-$A$ elastomer using an electric field. This suggests that the director is not necessarily locked to the layer normal, as described in earlier papers that…
We present and analyze a model for the combination of bulk and surface electroclinic effects in the smectic-A* (Sm-A) phase near a Sm-A*--Sm-C* transition. As part of our analysis we calculate the dependence of the surface tilt on external…
We study the interaction between a ferromagnetically ordered medium and the surface states of a topological insulator with a general surface termination. This interaction is strongly crystal face dependent and can generate chiral states…
Twist-grain-boundary phases in smectics are the geometrical analogs of the Abrikosov flux lattice in superconductors. At large twist angles, the nonlinear elasticity is important in evaluating their energetics. We analytically construct the…
This paper examines thermodynamic stability of chiral domain walls and vortices - topological defects which can exist in chiral superconductors. Using London theory it is demonstrated that at sufficiently small applied and chiral fields the…
In this paper we consider the compactness of $\beta$-symplectic critical surfaces in a K\"ahler surface. Let $M$ be a compact K\"ahler surface and $\Sigma_i\subset M$ be a sequence of closed $\beta_i$-symplectic critical surfaces with…
We consider theoretically liquid rise against gravity in capillaries with height-dependent cross-section. For a conical capillary made from a hydrophobic surface and dipped in a liquid reservoir, the equilibrium liquid height depends on the…
Motivated by recent experiments on the rod-like virus bacteriophage fd, confined to circular and annular domains, we present a theoretical study of structural transitions in these geometries. Using the continuum theory of nematic liquid…
We study the phase equilibria of a fluid confined in an open capillary slit formed when a wall of finite length $H$ is brought a distance $L$ away from a second macroscopic surface. This system shows rich phase equilibria arising from the…
We study the isoperimetric problem for capillary hypersurfaces with a general contact angle $\theta \in (0, \pi)$, outside arbitrary convex sets. We prove that the capillary energy of any surface supported on any such convex set is larger…
The anchoring of nematic liquid crystals on surfaces with grafted liquid crystalline chain molecules is studied by computer simulations and within a mean field approach. The computer simulations show that a swollen layer of collectively…
Confined samples of liquid crystals are characterized by a variety of topological defects and can be exposed to external constraints such as extreme confinements with nontrivial topology. Here we explore the intrinsic structure of smectic…
McMillan liquid crystal model sandwiched between strong homeotropic anchoring walls is studied. Phase transitions between isotropic, nematic, and smectic A phases are investigated for wide ranges of an interaction parameter and of the…
The ability to control the movement and assembly of particles in liquid crystals is not only an important route to design functional materials, but also sheds light on the mechanisms of colloidal interactions. In this study we place…
Starting from a commensurate triangular thin solid strip, confined within two hard structureless walls, a stretch along its length introduces a rectangular distortion. Beyond a critical strain the solid fails through nucleation of…
Constant energy contour (CEC) of the surface bands in topological insulators varies not only with materials but also at different energies. The quasiparticle interference caused by scattering-off from defects on the surface of topological…