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Updated: May 27, 2026

High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
Published on: October 31, 2019
Polydispersity stabilizes biaxial nematic liquid crystals
1Institute for Theoretical Physics, Utrecht University, Leuvenlaan 4, 3584 CE Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Inspired by the observations of a remarkably stable biaxial nematic phase [van den Pol et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 258301 (2009)], we investigate the effect of size polydispersity on the phase behavior of a suspension of boardlike particles. By means of Onsager theory within the restricted orientation (Zwanzig) model we show that polydispersity induces a novel topology in the phase diagram, with two Landau tetracritical points in between which oblate uniaxial nematic order is favored over the expected prolate order. Additionally, this phenomenon causes the opening of a huge stable biaxiality regime in between uniaxial nematic and smectic states.
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