Structure formation and dynamics of a liquid crystal frustrated by spatial confinement

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25400437
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biological physics/Chemical physics/Soft matter physics
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: FUKUDA Jun-ichi 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 機能化学研究部門, 主任研究員 (90392654)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 液晶 / 連続体シミュレーション / キラリティ / 欠陥 / コレステリックブルー相 / 光学計算 / フラストレーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

(i) We successfully accounted semiquantitatively for the structural response of a zigzag line defect of a nematic liquid crystal in a sinusoidal groove to the chirality of a gas dissolved there. (ii) We reproduced the experimental findings on the structure of line defect in a liquid crystal cell on whose surfaces director patterns with topological defects are imprinted. (iii) Based on a continuum theory, we carried out a simulation study on the structure formation and dynamics of a chiral liquid crystal in a thin planar cell. We also investigated how these structures are observed by optical measures, and almost perfectly reproduced experimental findings.

Free Research Field

統計物理学，計算物理学