Disclination Loops, Hedgehogs, and All That
Soft Condensed Matter
2012-04-10 v1 Statistical Mechanics
Algebraic Topology
Abstract
The homotopy theory of topological defects is a powerful tool for organizing and unifying many ideas across a broad range of physical systems. Recently, experimental progress has been made in controlling and measuring colloidal inclusions in liquid crystalline phases. The topological structure of these systems is quite rich but, at the same time, subtle. Motivated by experiment and the power of topological reasoning, we review and expound upon the classification of defects in uniaxial nematic liquid crystals. Particular attention is paid to the ambiguities that arise in these systems, which have no counterpart in the much-storied XY model or the Heisenberg ferromagnet.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1107.1169,
title = {Disclination Loops, Hedgehogs, and All That},
author = {Gareth P. Alexander and Bryan Gin-ge Chen and Elisabetta A. Matsumoto and Randall D. Kamien},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1107.1169},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
Colloquium, 19 pages, 9 figures