Phys.org October 19, 2021
A team of researchers in the US (Case Western reserve University, Tufts University, Sandia National Laboratory) manipulated an “orientable Newtonian liquid,” in this case to a nematic liquid crystal that behaves predictably, i.e., linearly, when an outside stimulus is applied. They forced the liquid crystal/air interface to change shape merely by exploiting the orientability of the molecules that comprise the liquid crystal by placing a patterned substrate on the opposite side of a thin nematic film. By doing so, they were able to control the alignment of molecules throughout the material which resulted in the appearance of a predetermined “bumpy” surface where the liquid and air meet—accomplished without any stimulus at the surface and without any control beyond the patterned “bottom” of the pool far from the surface. The relative change was huge, as much as a 30-70% increase in height from a flat surface…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Illustration visualizing the resulting topography from the energy contributions. Credit: Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 057803, 4 February 2021Â