Dresden 2020 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 32: Complex Fluids and Colloids, Micelles and Vesicles (joint session CPP/DY)

DY 32.6: Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2020, 10:45–11:00, ZEU 114

A biaxial nematic liquid crystal composed of matchbox-symmetric molecules — •Robert A. Skutnik¹, Immanuel S. Geier¹, and Martin Schoen^1,2 — ¹Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Technische UniversitätBerlin, Straße des 17. Juni 115, 10623 Berlin, Germany — ²Department of ChemicalEngineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ,United Kingdom

By means of Monte Carlo simulations in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble we investigate the structure and phase behaviour of a thermotropic liquid crystal composed of matchbox-symmetric (or board-like) molecules. Besides the isotropic phase the liquid crystal exhibits also uniaxial and biaxial nematic phases. We analyse the orientation distribution function which allows us to distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic biaxiality. In addition, we study the orientation-dependent correlation functions. In the limit of large intermolecular separations the value of the orientation correlation function corresponds to the uniaxial and biaxial order parameters which are coupled in a complex fashion.