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Topological phases and curvature-driven pattern formation in cholesteric shells.

G Negro1, L N Carenza2, G Gonnella1

  • 1Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Bari and INFN, Sezione di Bari, via Amendola 173, Bari, I-70126, Italy.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We investigated cholesteric liquid crystal shells, finding that surface anchoring influences their structure. Topological phases like half-skyrmions emerge, with their arrangement depending on shell geometry and size.

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Area of Science:

  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Liquid Crystal Physics

Background:

  • Cholesteric liquid crystals exhibit unique helical structures.
  • Surface anchoring conditions significantly impact liquid crystal phase behavior.
  • Topological defects, such as half-skyrmions, can form in confined geometries.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phase behavior of cholesteric liquid crystal shells.
  • To compare the effects of tangential anchoring versus no anchoring.
  • To characterize the topological phases near the isotropic-cholesteric transition.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical modeling of cholesteric liquid crystal shells.
  • Analysis of surface anchoring effects (tangential vs. no anchoring).
  • Characterization of topological defect structures (half-skyrmions) and their stability.

Main Results:

  • Tangential anchoring creates competition between cholesteric twist and surface energy.
  • Topological phases near the isotropic-cholesteric transition include quasi-crystalline and amorphous half-skyrmion tessellations.
  • Shell geometry (ellipsoidal, toroidal) dictates defect behavior and phase heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

  • The geometry and surface anchoring of cholesteric liquid crystal shells determine their phase behavior.
  • Half-skyrmion tessellations are stable topological phases, influenced by shell size and curvature.
  • Curvature in toroidal shells stabilizes heterogeneous phases with coexisting patterns.