2 research outputs found
Continuous Transition of Defect Configuration in a Deformed Liquid Crystal Film
We investigate energetically favorable configurations of point disclinations
in nematic films having a bump geometry. Gradual expansion in the bump width
{\Delta} gives rise to a sudden shift in the stable position of the
disclinations from the top to the skirt of the bump. The positional shift
observed across a threshold {\Delta}th obeys a power law function of
|{\Delta}-{\Delta}th|, indicating a new class of continuous phase transition
that governs the defect configuration in curved nematic films.Comment: 8pages, 3figure