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Thermal Control of Concentric Topographies Patterned by Dynamic Electro-Templated Generated Chiral Solitonic
Jacques A Peixoto1,2, Hanqing Zhao3, Dirk J Broer1,2
1Laboratory of Human Interactive Materials (HIM), Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, AZ, The Netherlands.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|July 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed an electro-templating method to precisely control topological solitons in liquid crystals. This technique enables the creation of programmable, concentric ring structures for advanced soft materials and adaptive optics.
Area of Science:
- Soft Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Topological Matter
Background:
- Topological solitons in chiral nematic liquid crystals are key for complex director fields and surface responses.
- Spatial precision and scalability in controlling these solitons remain significant challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce an electro-templating strategy for precise control over topological solitons.
- To enable the generation of discrete, concentric solitonic ring structures with programmable geometry.
Main Methods:
- Utilized electro-templating to control the relaxation of cholesteric finger loops.
- Exploited structural multistability arising from helical pitch and confinement.
- Employed pre-designed voltage driving and photopolymerization.
Main Results:
- Generated discrete, concentric solitonic ring structures with programmable geometry.
- Achieved on-demand formation of multi-ring architectures governed by relaxation dynamics.
- Created photopolymerized structures with thermally induced, reversible surface modulation, forming castle-like features.
Conclusions:
- The electro-templating approach offers a scalable platform for encoding hierarchical topological features into soft materials.
- This method opens new avenues for responsive coatings and adaptive optics applications.
- The resulting materials exhibit tunable surface modulation and retain topological configurations.
