Orientational transition in nanobridges of nematic liquid crystals in slit pores

ABSTRACT

In this work, the morphology of nematic capillary nanobridges in slit pores separated by a vertical distance $D$ will be characterised by Monte Carlo simulations for oblate molecules nematogen modelled by the Gay-Berne potential. Previous studies on droplets show that the molecules are arranged homeotropically at the nematic-vapour interface and form spherical droplets with an annular disclination located in their equatorial plane. In the presence of pores with attractive substrates that favour homeotropic anchoring, the formation of nanobridges characterised by anchoring angles that decrease with increasing particle-substrate interaction intensity is observed. When the orientational field in the nanobridge is analysed, the formation of an annular disclination of topological charge+1/2 located in the plane perpendicular to the z-axis that passes through the centre of mass of the nanobridge is observed for small $D$. However, when considering higher values of $D$, a change to a biaxial orientational profile within the nanobridge is observed, where now the annular disclination is arranged in a plane perpendicular to one direction of the $xy$ plane. These results are indicative of the existence of an orientational phase transition for an intermediate $D$ value between a uniaxial and a biaxial orientational configuration in the capillary nanobridge.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Nematic liquid crystals
• confinement
• phase transitions
• Gay-Berne model
• Monte Carlo simulations

Acknowledgments

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Luis F. Rull, who deeply influenced the author both professionally and personally.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad (Junta de Andalucía, Spain) under Grants number [US-1380729 and P20_00816], cofunded by EU FEDER; and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) under Grant number [PID2021-126348NB-I00].