Issue 13, 2011

Three-dimensional imaging of liquid crystal structures and defects by means of holographic manipulation of colloidal nanowires with faceted sidewalls

Abstract

We use nanowires with faceted sidewalls for mapping of the patterns of three-dimensional orientational order and defect structures. In chiral nematics, the nanowires follow the local average orientation of rod-shaped molecules. When spatially translated by use of holographic optical tweezers in three dimensions, they mediate direct nondestructive visualization of the helicoidal ground-state structures, edge and screw dislocations, and kinks, as well as enable non-contact manipulation of these defects. We probe interactions of faceted nanowires with different defects and demonstrate their spontaneous self-alignment along the cores of singular defect lines.

Graphical abstract: Three-dimensional imaging of liquid crystal structures and defects by means of holographic manipulation of colloidal nanowires with faceted sidewalls

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Feb 2011
Accepted
27 Apr 2011
First published
03 Jun 2011

Soft Matter, 2011,7, 6304-6312

Three-dimensional imaging of liquid crystal structures and defects by means of holographic manipulation of colloidal nanowires with faceted sidewalls

D. Engström, R. P. Trivedi, M. Persson, M. Goksör, K. A. Bertness and I. I. Smalyukh, Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 6304 DOI: 10.1039/C1SM05170A

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