Orientational transition in nanobridges of nematic liquid crystals in slit pores

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this work, the morphology of nematic capillary nanobridges in slit pores separated by a vertical distance D will be characterised by Monte Carlo simulations for oblate molecules nematogen modelled by the Gay-Berne potential. Previous studies on droplets show that the molecules are arranged homeotropically at the nematic-vapour interface and form spherical droplets with an annular disclination located in their equatorial plane. In the presence of pores with attractive substrates that favour homeotropic anchoring, the formation of nanobridges characterised by anchoring angles that decrease with increasing particle-substrate interaction intensity is observed. When the orientational field in the nanobridge is analysed, the formation of an annular disclination of topological charge+1/2 located in the plane perpendicular to the z-axis that passes through the centre of mass of the nanobridge is observed for small D. However, when considering higher values of D, a change to a biaxial orientational profile within the nanobridge is observed, where now the annular disclination is arranged in a plane perpendicular to one direction of the xy plane. These results are indicative of the existence of an orientational phase transition for an intermediate D value between a uniaxial and a biaxial orientational configuration in the capillary nanobridge.