The simulation of three-dimensional solitary waves driven by an alternating current electric field in nematic liquid crystal
ORAL
Abstract
Recent experiments reveal that in nematic liquid crystal, bullet-like three-dimensional solitary waves have been observed when electrically driven [1]. Being powered by an alternating current (AC) electric field, the bullet is a nonsingular bow-like perturbation of the director from the uniform state or form a butterfly-like structure.
Our most recent study provides that the most important effect related to the solitary wave is the flexoelectric polarization. An electric field would accumulate the liquid crystal molecules and form a locally dipole-like orientation. With an alternating current field, the flexoelectric polarization would lead to nonsingular perturbation of the director field, which looks like a butterfly. Also, bow-like structures can be induced and shotted from the butterfly, which we called bullets.
We reveal that the inducing of the nonsingular structures depends on the intensity and frequency of the electric field. And in a system with a curved director field, the solitary waves can be observed creating beside the interface of the system. Our simulation results are agreed with the phenomena in the experiment, and help us to understand them.
Our most recent study provides that the most important effect related to the solitary wave is the flexoelectric polarization. An electric field would accumulate the liquid crystal molecules and form a locally dipole-like orientation. With an alternating current field, the flexoelectric polarization would lead to nonsingular perturbation of the director field, which looks like a butterfly. Also, bow-like structures can be induced and shotted from the butterfly, which we called bullets.
We reveal that the inducing of the nonsingular structures depends on the intensity and frequency of the electric field. And in a system with a curved director field, the solitary waves can be observed creating beside the interface of the system. Our simulation results are agreed with the phenomena in the experiment, and help us to understand them.
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Publication: Li, Bing-Xiang, Volodymyr Borshch, Rui-Lin Xiao, Sathyanarayana Paladugu, Taras Turiv, Sergij V. Shiyanovskii, and Oleg D. Lavrentovich. "Electrically driven three-dimensional solitary waves as director bullets in nematic liquid crystals." Nature communications 9, no. 1 (2018): 1-10.
Presenters
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Xingzhou Tang
University of Chicago
Authors
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Xingzhou Tang
University of Chicago
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Ali Mozaffari
University of Chicago
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Noe d Atzin
University of Chicago
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Nicholas Abbott
Cornell University
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Juan De Pablo
University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago