Three-dimensional imaging of liquid crystal structures and defects by means of holographic manipulation of colloidal nanowires with faceted sidewalls

• We use nanowires with faceted sidewalls for mapping of the patterns of three-dimensional orientational order and defect structures. In chiral nematics, the nanowires follow the local average orientation of rod-shaped molecules. When spatially translated by use of holographic optical tweezers in three dimensions, they mediate direct nondestructive visualization of the helicoidal ground-state structures, edge and screw dislocations, and kinks, as well as enable non-contact manipulation of these defects. We probe interactions of faceted nanowires with different defects and demonstrate their spontaneous self-alignment along the cores of singular defect lines.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

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