Optically enriched and guided dynamics of active skyrmions

Area of Science:

• Soft Matter Physics
• Active Matter Systems
• Liquid Crystals

Background:

• Light is a powerful tool for controlling material behavior.
• Active matter systems exhibit emergent collective behaviors.
• Topological solitons, or skyrmions, are reconfigurable inanimate active particles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate optical control of liquid crystalline skyrmions.
• To explore the use of light in powering and guiding active matter.
• To investigate collective behaviors like schooling in skyrmions.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing chiral nematic liquid crystals as a testbed.
• Employing ambient-intensity unstructured light for control.
• Applying oscillating electric fields for skyrmion motion.
• Creating optically-induced obstacles and patterned illumination for guidance.

Main Results:

• Achieved large-scale, multifaceted reconfigurations of skyrmions using light.
• Demonstrated optical guidance of skyrmion motion.
• Showcased unjamming of collective skyrmion movement.
• Confirmed light's potential to power and guide active matter systems.

Conclusions:

• Optical control offers a novel method for manipulating active matter.
• Liquid crystalline skyrmions can be dynamically controlled with light.
• This work opens avenues for light-driven active matter applications.