Colloidal particles at a nematic-isotropic interface: Effects of confinement

被引:18
作者
West, J. L. [1 ]
Zhang, K.
Glushchenko, A.
Andrienko, D.
Tasinkevych, M.
Reznikov, Y.
机构
[1] Kent State Univ, Inst Liquid Crystal, Kent, OH 44242 USA
[2] Univ Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 USA
[3] Max Planck Inst Polymer Res, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
[4] Max Planck Inst Met Res, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
[5] Univ Stuttgart, Inst Theoret & Angew Phys, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
[6] Inst Phys, UA-03039 Kiev, Ukraine
关键词
D O I
10.1140/epje/i2006-10017-1
中图分类号
O64 [物理化学(理论化学)、化学物理学];
学科分类号
070304 ; 081704 ;
摘要
When captured by a flat nematic-isotropic interface, colloidal particles can be dragged by it. As a result spatially periodic structures may appear, with the period depending on particle mass, size, and interface velocity (J.L. West, A. Glushchenko, G.X. Liao, Y. Reznikov, D. Andrienko, M.P. Allen, Phys. Rev. E 66, 012702 (2002)). If liquid crystal is sandwiched between two substrates, the interface takes a wedge-like shape, accommodating the interface-substrate contact angle and minimizing the director distortions on its nematic side. Correspondingly, particles move along complex trajectories: they are first captured by the interface and then "glide" towards its vertex point. Our experiments quantify this scenario, and numerical minimization of the Landau-de Gennes free energy allows for a qualitative description of the interfacial structure and the drag force.
引用
收藏
页码:237 / 242
页数:6
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