Berlin 2015 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 4: Colloids and Complex Liquids I (joint CPP/DY/BP)
BP 4.1: Talk
Monday, March 16, 2015, 09:30–09:45, C 130
Disclination lines at homogeneous and heterogeneous colloids immersed in a chiral liquid crystal — •Sergej Schlotthauer1, Michael Melle1, Carol K. Hall2, Enrique Diaz-Herrera3, and Martin Scheon1,2 — 1Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany — 2North Carolina State University, Raleigh (NC), USA — 3Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Iztapalapa , Mexico
We perform Monte Carlo simulations in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble to study defect topologies formed in a cholesteric liquid crystal due to the presence of a spherical colloidal particle. Topological defects arise because of the competition between anchoring at the colloidal surface and the local director. We consider homogeneous colloids with either local homeotropic or planar anchoring to validate our model by comparison with earlier lattice Boltzmann studies. The presence of a Janus colloid in a choleteric host fluid reveals a rich variety of defect structures. Using the Frank free energy we analyze these defects quantitatively indicating a preferred orientation of the Janus colloid relative to the cholesteric helix.