Journal
SOFT MATTER
Volume 12, Issue 3, Pages 853-858Publisher
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/c5sm01726b
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Funding
- Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) [P1-0099, J1-6723]
- Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO)
- European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Program, ERC [339813]
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Skyrmions are particle-like topological objects that are increasingly drawing attention in condensed matter physics, where they are connected to inversion symmetry breaking and chirality. Here we report the generation of stable Skyrmion-like structures in a thin nematic liquid crystal film on chemically patterned patchy surfaces. Using the interplay of material elasticity and surface boundary conditions, we use a strong electric field to quench the nematic liquid crystal from a fully aligned phase to vortex-like nematic liquid crystal structures, centered on patterned patches, which carry two different sorts of topological defects. Numerical calculations reveal that these are Skyrmion-like structures, seeded from the surface boojum topological defects and swirling towards the second confining surface. These observations, supported by numerical methods, demonstrate the possibility to generate, manipulate and study Skyrmion-like objects in nematic liquid crystals on patterned surfaces.
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