Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystal Droplets

Abstract

Liquid crystal droplets, being relatively easy to produce, have been of interest since the early days of liquid crystals. This interest is both scientific and practical. Scientifically, we would like to know how confinement can alter the macroscopic properties of materials previously understood only in the bulk. In the case of liquid crystal droplets, the boundary conditions are fundamentally incompatible with parallel orientation in the bulk, which leads to topological defects in the structure. By applying an electric field or increasing the chirality, the situation is further complicated and new textures with new defects may evolve.