Long-Ranged Order and Flow Alignment in Sheared p-atic Liquid Crystals

Area of Science:

• Soft Matter Physics
• Fluid Dynamics
• Liquid Crystal Theory

Background:

• Traditional liquid crystal theories often assume O(2) rotational symmetry.
• Existing models struggle to explain behaviors in anisotropic fluids with discrete rotational symmetries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate a hydrodynamic theory for p-atic liquid crystals with generic p-fold rotational symmetry.
• To uncover previously unknown aspects of flowing p-atic phases.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel order parameter tensor that captures discrete rotational symmetry.
• Application of hydrodynamic theory to model the behavior of flowing p-atics.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of the onset of long-ranged orientational order in p-atics under simple shear flow.
• Identification of flow alignment as a possibility at large shear rates.
• Unveiling phenomena not accounted for by O(2) symmetric theories.

Conclusions:

• The new hydrodynamic theory provides a more comprehensive understanding of p-atic liquid crystals.
• The findings highlight the importance of discrete rotational symmetry in fluid behavior.
• This work opens new avenues for studying anisotropic fluid dynamics.