Ordering dynamics of blue phases entails kinetic stabilization of amorphous networks.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 107(30): 13212-5, 2010 Jul 27.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-20624988
ABSTRACT
The cubic blue phases of liquid crystals are fascinating and technologically promising examples of hierarchically structured soft materials, comprising ordered networks of defect lines (disclinations) within a liquid crystalline matrix. We present large-scale simulations of their domain growth, starting from a blue phase nucleus within a supercooled isotropic or cholesteric background. The nucleated phase is thermodynamically stable; one expects its slow orderly growth, creating a bulk cubic phase. Instead, we find that the strong propensity to form disclinations drives the rapid disorderly growth of a metastable amorphous defect network. During this process, the original nucleus is destroyed; reemergence of the stable phase may therefore require a second nucleation step. Our findings suggest that blue phases exhibit hierarchical behavior in their ordering dynamics, to match the hierarchy in their structure.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Termodinámica
/
Cristales Líquidos
/
Modelos Químicos
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Año:
2010
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido