Curvature generation in nematic surface
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Authors
Mostajeran, Cyrus
Publication Date
2015-06-26Journal Title
Physical Review E
ISSN
1539-3755
Publisher
APS
Volume
91
Number
062405
Language
English
Type
Article
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Mostajeran, C. (2015). Curvature generation in nematic surface. Physical Review E, 91 (062405)https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.91.062405
Abstract
In recent years there has been a growing interest in the study of shape formation using modern responsive materials that can be preprogrammed to undergo spatially inhomogeneous local deformations. In particular, nematic liquid crystalline solids offer exciting possibilities in this context. Considerable recent progress has been made in achieving a variety of shape transitions in thin sheets of nematic solids by engineering isolated points of concentrated Gaussian curvature using topological defects in the nematic director field across textured surfaces. In this paper, we consider ways of achieving shape transitions in thin sheets of nematic glass by generation of non-localised Gaussian curvature in the absence of topological defects in the director field. We show how one can blueprint any desired Gaussian curvature in a thin nematic sheet by controlling the nematic alignment angle across the surface and highlight specific patterns which present feasible initial targets for experimental verification of the theory.
Sponsorship
The author is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom.
Funder references
EPSRC (1355845)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.91.062405
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/248509
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