2D interactions and binary crystals of dipolar and quadrupolar nematic colloids
Microscopic image of mixed
dipolar-quadrupolar 2D lattice
of 4 micron particles in a nematic
liquid crystal cell (a), together
with schematic presentation (b).
dipolar-quadrupolar 2D lattice
of 4 micron particles in a nematic
liquid crystal cell (a), together
with schematic presentation (b).
The symmetry of the elastic interaction between the dipolar and quadrupolar colloidal particles in the nematic liquid crystal leads to a novel variety of two-dimensional nematic "binary" colloidal crystals, which have not been observed in any colloidal system. The dipolar-quadrupolar interaction is highly anisotropic and shows a power-law dependence when the particles approach each other along the director field with a pair-binding energy of the order of several thousands of kBT for 4 µm diameter colloidal particles.
OGNYSTA, U., NYCH, Andriy, NAZARENKO, Vassili, MUŠEVIČ, Igor, ŠKARABOT, Miha, RAVNIK, Miha, ŽUMER, Slobodan, POBERAJ, Igor, BABIČ, Dušan. 2D interactions and binary crystals of dipolar and quadrupolar nematic colloids. Phys. rev. lett., 2008, vol. 100, no. 21, 217803.
