Mechanics of soft-solid-liquid-crystal interfaces.

The interfacial mechanics of soft elastic solids and nematic liquid crystals is presented. The theory can be applied to interfaces involving gels, elastomers, biomaterials, and thermotropic nematic liquid crystals. A model of anisotropic elastic interfaces is formulated and used to derive two fundamental capillary quantities: (i) interfacial torques on the nematic orientation, and (ii) capillary pressure. The couplings between soft-solid deformation and liquid-crystal anisotropic interfacial tension is shown to lead to strain-induced anchoring transitions, and strain-induced morphological instabilities.