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Updated: Jul 9, 2025
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An Electrochemical Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Device for Quick and Low-Voltage Color Modulation
Published on: February 27, 2019
8.5K
Temperature reconfigurable skyrmionic solitons in cholesteric liquid crystals
Yuan Shen1, Maryam Qaiser1, Ingo Dierking1
1Department of Physics, School of Natural Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. ingo.dierking@manchester.ac.uk.
Soft Matter
|November 28, 2023
Summary
This study demonstrates a reversible transformation between torons and cholesteric fingers in chiral nematic liquid crystals by altering temperature. The torons, though morphologically altered, remain topologically robust throughout the process.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Soft Matter Physics
- Liquid Crystal Physics
Background:
- Chiral nematic liquid crystals exhibit complex self-assembled structures.
- Torons and cholesteric fingers are distinct topological defects in liquid crystals.
- Understanding defect transformations is crucial for materials applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reversible transformation between torons and cholesteric fingers.
- To explore the role of temperature in controlling liquid crystal defect morphology.
- To assess the topological stability of torons under dynamic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a chiral nematic liquid crystal twist inversion system.
- Employing temperature variation to continuously change the helical pitch.
- Observing structural transformations via microscopy and topological analysis.
Main Results:
- A reversible transformation between torons and cholesteric fingers was achieved by tuning the helical pitch via temperature.
- Decreasing pitch induced toron growth into cholesteric fingers.
- Increasing pitch led to cholesteric finger shortening and reversion to the initial state.
Conclusions:
- Torons serve as topological seeds for cholesteric finger formation.
- The observed transformations are reversible and controllable through temperature.
- Torons exhibit significant topological protection, remaining intact despite morphological changes during heating-cooling cycles.
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