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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Alignment-induced reconfigurable walls for patterning and assembly of liquid crystal skyrmions

Ayhan Duzgun* and Avadh Saxena

Jonathan V. Selinger

  • Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA

  • Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA

  • *ayhan@lanl.gov
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Phys. Rev. Research 3, L012005 – Published 15 January, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.L012005

Abstract

Skyrmions have attracted rapidly growing interest due to their topological properties and unique aspects for potential novel applications such as data storage and soft robotics. They can also serve as key elements for materials by design, self-assembly, and functional soft materials. While not real particles, these skyrmions behave like particles—they interact with each other and can be actuated by means of electric field, surface anchoring, and light. On the other hand, they are field configurations which have properties not possessed by real particles. Here we show that, by means of alignment-induced attractive and repulsive walls, skyrmions in chiral nematic liquid crystals can be precisely controlled and programed to serve as suitable building blocks for the realization of the above goals. Our work may stimulate new experimental efforts and concomitant applications in this direction.

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Information

Phys. Rev. Research 3, L012005– Published 15 January, 2021
  • Received 29 July 2020
  • Revised 1 November 2020
  • Accepted 18 December 2020
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