Phys.org July 23, 2024 The formation kinetics and nanoscale three-dimensional structure of topological defects are poorly understood. An international team of researchers (Switzerland, Japan, USA – Northwestern University, Cornell University, France, Germany, Austria) described the fabrication of a pair of topological defects in the volume of a single-diamond network templated into gold from a triblock terpolymer crystal. They resolved the three-dimensional structure of nearly 70,000 individual single-diamond unit cells with a spatial resolution of 11.2 nm, allowing analysis of the long-range order of the network. The defects observed morphologically resembled the comet and trefoil patterns of equal and opposite half-integer topological […]
Tag Archives: Topological defects
How to make a ‘computer’ out of liquid crystals
Science Daily March 2, 2022 Researchers at the University of Chicago have introduced the concept of using topological defects in active matter to perform logic operations. When an extensile active stress in a nematic liquid crystal is turned on, +1/2 defects can self-propel, in analogy to electron transport under a voltage gradient. By relying on hydrodynamic simulations of active nematics, they demonstrated that patterns of activity, when combined with surfaces imparting certain orientations, can be used to control the formation and transport of +1/2 defects. They also showed that asymmetric high- and low-activity patterns can be used to create effective […]