Ravnik M, Skarabot M, Zumer S, Tkalec U, Poberaj I, Babic D, Osterman N, Musevic I
Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Dec 14;99(24):247801. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.247801. Epub 2007 Dec 12.
It has been predicted, but never confirmed, that colloidal particles in a nematic liquid crystal could be self-assembled by delocalized topological defects and entangled disclinations. We show experimentally and theoretically that colloidal dimers and 1D structures bound by entangled topological defect loops can indeed be created by locally thermally quenching a thin layer of the nematic liquid crystal around selected colloidal particles. The topological entanglement provides a strong stringlike binding, which is ten thousand times stronger compared to water-based colloids. This unique binding mechanism could be used to assemble resonator optical waveguides and robust chiral and achiral structures of topologically entangled colloids that we call colloidal wires.
据预测，向列型液晶中的胶体粒子可通过离域拓扑缺陷和缠结的位错进行自组装，但这一预测从未得到证实。我们通过实验和理论证明，通过对选定胶体粒子周围的向列型液晶薄层进行局部热淬火，确实可以创建由缠结拓扑缺陷环束缚的胶体二聚体和一维结构。拓扑缠结提供了一种强大的线状结合力，与水基胶体相比，其强度要强一万倍。这种独特的结合机制可用于组装谐振器光波导以及拓扑缠结胶体的坚固手性和非手性结构，我们将其称为胶体线。
