Related papers: A 3 - dimensionally modulated structure in a chira…
We study the shape and texture of finite domains comprising chiral/achiral molecules carrying a tilt field embedded in a 2-dimensional surface. Using a combination of simulations and {\it exact} variational calculations, we determine the…
We report on a construction for smectic blue phases, which have quasi-long range smectic translational order as well as three dimensional crystalline order. Our proposed structures fill space by adding layers on top of a minimal surface,…
Symmetry fractionalization, generating a large amount of symmetry-protected topological phases, provides scenarios for continuous phase transitions different from spontaneous symmetry breaking. However, it is hard to detect these…
We experimentally investigate the nature of 2D phase transitions in a quasi-2D granular fluid. Using a surface decorated with periodically spaced dimples we observe interfacial tension between coexisting liquid and crystal phases.…
Recently, a number of experiments indicate the possible presence of spin liquid phases in quantum magnets with spin-1/2 and spin-1 moments sitting on triangular-lattice-based structures in Ba3CuSb2O9 and Ba3NiSb2O9 respectively. In relation…
The three-phase interline described by a statistical continuum limit (i.e. quasi-boundary) has been postulated to gain a deeper insight into the reduction of CeO2 to CeO1.940 in a LiCl-KCl eutectic melt. Fabrication of a CeO2 superstructure…
In the hexagonal columnar phase of chiral polymers a bias towards cholesteric twist competes with braiding along an average direction. When the chirality is strong, topological defects proliferate, leading to either a tilt grain boundary…
The smectic C (smC) phase represents a unique class of liquid crystal phases characterised by the layered arrangement of molecules with tilted orientations with respect to layer normals. Building upon the real-valued tensorial smectic A…
The molecules in lyotropic membranes are typically aligned with the surface normal. When these molecules are chiral, there is a tendency for the molecular direction to twist. These competing effects can reach a compromise by producing…
Self-assembly of organic molecules represents a fascinating playground to create various liquid crystalline (LC) nanostructures. In this work, we study layer undulations on micrometer scale in smectic A phases for achiral compounds,…
We introduce a theoretical framework for the new concept of three-dimensional (3D) twistronics by developing a generalized Bloch band theory for 3D layered systems with a constant twist angle $\theta$ between successive layers. Our theory…
We propose a continuum tensorial model for chiral smectic C (SmC$^*$) liquid crystals using a tensor-valued order parameter $\mathbf{Q}$ to describe orientational order and a real-valued order parameter $\delta\rho$ to capture layer…
It is a conventional wisdom that symmetry breakdown at grain boundaries in crystals introduces volume expansion and there has been no confirmed evidence of volume contraction at a grain boundary in any kind of crystals. We report surprising…
Since strong quantum fluctuations are essential for the emergence of quantum spin liquids, there have been extensive exploration and identification of spin liquid candidates in spin-$1/2$ systems, while such activities are rare in higher…
Spontaneous formation of polarization gratings by liquid crystals made of bent dimeric molecules is reported. The grating is formed within the temperature range of the twist bend modulated nematic phase, NTB, without the necessity to…
Condensed matter physics continues to seek new frustrated quantum materials that not only deepen our understanding of fundamental physical phenomena but also hold promise for transformative technologies. In this review article, we highlight…
Liquid crystals can self-organize into a layered smectic phase. While the smectic layers are typically straight forming a lamellar pattern in bulk, external confinement may drastically distort the layers due to the boundary conditions…
There is a large variety of bi-layered structures with smectic A type ordering. Results of this paper contribute to a theory of bi-layered phases. The difference between the \( SmC^{*}_{A} \) and \( SmC_{\alpha}^{*} \) phases is described…
We introduce a class of $n$-dimensional (possibly inhomogeneous) spin-like lattice systems presenting modulated phases with possibly different textures. Such systems can be parameterized according to the number of ground states, and can be…
The recently discovered three dimensional or bulk topological insulators are expected to exhibit exotic quantum phenomena. It is believed that a trivial insulator can be twisted into a topological state by modulating the spin-orbit…