Corona patterns around inclusions in freely suspended smectic films

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Soft Matter Physics
• Liquid Crystals

Background:

• Freely suspended smectic films exhibit complex structures when perturbed.
• Spherical inclusions, such as droplets or beads, can induce unique patterns on these films.
• Understanding these patterns is crucial for characterizing liquid crystal behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the structure and physical origin of corona patterns around spherical inclusions in smectic films.
• To determine the phase-dependent behavior of these corona patterns.
• To relate these patterns to known phenomena in freely suspended films.

Main Methods:

• Observation of corona patterns around micrometer-sized solid or liquid spherical inclusions.
• Analysis of patterns in different smectic phases (smectic C, smectic A, smectic B).
• Comparison with splay domains in the meniscus of freely suspended films.

Main Results:

• Corona patterns are observed around spherical inclusions in smectic C and smectic A phases.
• These patterns disappear upon transitioning to the smectic B phase.
• The observed structures are equivalent to surface-induced spontaneous splay domains.

Conclusions:

• The corona patterns are a manifestation of surface-induced spontaneous splay.
• The presence and disappearance of these patterns are sensitive to the specific smectic phase.
• This study provides insight into the interplay between inclusions and the smectic film structure.