Aharonov-Bohm-like effect for light propagating in nematics with disclinations

TL;DR

This paper explores how disclinations in nematic liquid crystals can induce a topological phase shift in light's polarization, analogous to the Aharonov-Bohm effect, using a geometric approach.

Contribution

It introduces a geometric framework to analyze the polarization changes of light caused by disclinations in nematics, revealing a topological phase effect.

Findings

Disclinations induce a topological phase in light polarization.

The effect is analogous to the Aharonov-Bohm phenomenon.

Polarization state is affected by the director field topology.

Abstract

Using a geometric approach for the propagation of light in anisotropic media, we investigate what effect the director field of disclinations may have on the polarization state of light. Parallel transport around the defect, of the spinor describing the polarization, indicates the acquisition of a topological phase, in analogy with the Aharonov-Bohm effect.