1c09 Periodic defect structures in liquid crystals confined within microwrinkle grooves

Abstract

Microwrinkles are strain-induced surface undulations, which form on an elastomer surface capped by a hard thin layer. The sinusoidal grooves can serve as open capillary channels, providing a unique micro-confinement of liquids. When a liquid crystal is confined there, its alignment can be distorted and topological defects may be produced due to the specific boundary conditions. Here, we report periodic defect structures self-organized in a nematic or smectic-A liquid crystal confined within microwrinkle grooves.