Open Access
10 October 2023 Impact of magnetic nanoparticles on the stability of blue phase and twist-grain boundary A phases
Apparao Gudimalla, Marta Lavrič, Brigita Rožič, Saso Gyergyek, Samo Kralj, Zdravko Kutnjak
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Abstract

We investigate experimentally the impact of roughly spherular magnetic maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) on the stabilization of lattices of topological line defects in liquid crystals (LCs). For this purpose, we exploit chiral CE8 LCs, which in bulk exhibit blue phases (BPs) possessing line defects (disclinations) in orientational order. Furthermore, the magnetic NPs stabilize twist-grain boundary A (TGBA) and chiral line liquid (NL*) phase possessing screw line defects (dislocations) in translational order. Appropriately surface-decorated NPs stabilize these qualitatively different configurations of line defects owing to the defect core replacement and adaptive defect core targeting mechanisms. Magnetic NPs enhance the temperature window of BPI stability and stabilize TGBA and NL* phases which are absent in bulk LC. Their impact is like the one imposed by strongly geometrically anisotropic NPs, which do not exhibit ferroelectric or ferromagnetic properties.

CC BY: © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.
Apparao Gudimalla, Marta Lavrič, Brigita Rožič, Saso Gyergyek, Samo Kralj, and Zdravko Kutnjak "Impact of magnetic nanoparticles on the stability of blue phase and twist-grain boundary A phases," Journal of Optical Microsystems 3(4), 041206 (10 October 2023). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JOM.3.4.041206
Received: 22 June 2023; Accepted: 7 September 2023; Published: 10 October 2023
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KEYWORDS
Nanoparticles

Magnetism

Mixtures

Liquid crystals

Gold

Shape memory alloys

Gold nanorods

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