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Flowing Liquid Crystal Torons Around Obstacles
Júlio P A Santos1,2, Mahmoud Sedahmed3, Rodrigo C V Coelho1,2
1Centro de Física Teórica e Computacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
Micromachines
|November 27, 2024
Summary
Liquid crystal torons exhibit dynamic behavior around obstacles. Their stability and trajectory depend on the impact parameter, with smaller parameters causing destabilization and larger ones leading to exponential decay in deflection.
Area of Science:
- Soft Matter Physics
- Liquid Crystal Physics
- Topological Defects
Background:
- Liquid crystal torons are stable, localized topological structures with dynamic properties.
- Their response to external stimuli makes them promising for advanced material applications.
- Understanding toron dynamics is crucial for harnessing their potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the flow behavior of torons in chiral nematic liquid crystals around obstacles.
- To analyze the influence of impact parameters on toron dynamics and stability.
- To explore toron scattering in environments with multiple obstacles.
Main Methods:
- Hybrid numerical simulation combining lattice Boltzmann and finite difference techniques.
- Modeling of fluid flow and director field interactions.
- Analysis of toron trajectories and stability based on impact parameters.
Main Results:
- Toron dynamics are highly dependent on the impact parameter relative to the obstacle.
- At impact parameters less than half the cholesteric pitch, torons are destabilized.
- For larger impact parameters, torons exhibit an exponentially decaying deflection.
Conclusions:
- The interaction with obstacles significantly alters toron behavior.
- Predictable deflection patterns emerge for torons interacting with single and multiple obstacles.
- Findings provide insights into controlling toron dynamics in complex liquid crystal systems.
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