Interaction of small spherical particles in confined cholesteric liquid crystals

The theory of the elastic interaction of spherical colloidal particles immersed into a confined cholesteric liquid crystal is proposed. The case of weak anchoring on the particle surfaces is considered. We derive a general expression for the energy of the interaction between small spherical particle...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics Vol. 89; no. 1; p. 012509
Main Authors Lev, B I, Fukuda, Jun-ichi, Tovkach, O M, Chernyshuk, S B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 29.01.2014
Subjects
Colloids - chemistry
Computer Simulation
Liquid Crystals - chemistry
Liquid Crystals - ultrastructure
Models, Chemical
Models, Molecular
Nanospheres - chemistry
Nanospheres - ultrastructure
Particle Size
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:The theory of the elastic interaction of spherical colloidal particles immersed into a confined cholesteric liquid crystal is proposed. The case of weak anchoring on the particle surfaces is considered. We derive a general expression for the energy of the interaction between small spherical particles (with diameter much smaller than the cholesteric pitch) suspended in a cholesteric confined by two parallel planes. The resulting form of the interaction energy has a more complex spatial pattern and energy versus distance dependence than that in nematic colloids. The absence of translational symmetry related to helical periodicity and local nematic ordering in cholesteric liquid crystals manifest themselves in the complex nature of the interaction maps.
ISSN:1550-2376
DOI:10.1103/physreve.89.012509