Structures in Chiral Nematic Droplets with Homeotropic Anchoring

Abstract

In this chapter we present and analyse some of the structures we find in chiral nematic droplets with homeotropic anchoring. The structures can be roughly divided into those with layered cholesteric structures and those with several point defects separated by toron-like cholesteric structures, which we call cholesteric bubbles. First we present the simplest droplets that appear at low chiralities and include a single point defect and one cholesteric bubble. Then we move on to the typical layered structures with one or several point defects between the cholesteric layers. We show that surface line defects can also appear in these droplets. Next, we present droplets in which multiple point defects are separated by cholesteric bubbles and can also include newly discovered higher-charge topological point defects. At the end of the chapter we introduce topological molecules, where single point defects are substituted by bigger structures carrying equivalent topological charge.