Colloidal Particles at a Cholesteric Liquid Crystal interface
Colloidal Particles at a Cholesteric Liquid Crystal interface
- Event time: 1:00pm
- Event date: 9th June 2011
- Speaker: Anne Pawsey (Formerly School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)
- Location: Room 2511, James Clerk Maxwell Building (JCMB) James Clerk Maxwell Building Peter Guthrie Tait Road Edinburgh EH9 3FD GB
Event details
Both particles dispersed in a liquid crystalline medium and particles trapped at a liquid-liquid interface are topics of current interest. In the liquid crystal case the particles seed defects in the ordered phases and new, effective, particle-particle interactions are induced. The medium of choice for the majority of this research has been nematic liquid crystals. New physics can be anticipated when the liquid crystal has a characteristic length scale which is similar to the particle size. I am exploring this for the case where the characteristic length is the pitch of a chiral liquid crystal.
I present a novel system in which melamine particles are trapped at an interface between the cholesteric liquid crystal and an isotropic liquid (silicone oil which induces homeotropic anchoring). Results on the behaviour of particles trapped at this complex interface will be presented as a function of particle size.
About Condensed Matter lunchtime seminars
This is a weekly series of informal talks given primarily by members of the institute of condensed matter and complex systems, but is also open to members of other groups and external visitors. The aim of the series is to promote discussion and learning of various topics at a level suitable to the broad background of the group. Everyone is welcome to attend..