Continuous Transition of Defect Configuration in a Deformed Liquid Crystal Film

TL;DR

This paper studies how defect configurations in nematic liquid crystal films on curved bump geometries change continuously with bump width, revealing a phase transition characterized by a power law.

Contribution

It uncovers a new class of continuous phase transition in defect configurations driven by geometric changes in curved nematic films.

Findings

Defect position shifts from top to skirt of bump at a critical width

The shift follows a power law near the threshold

Identifies a continuous phase transition in defect behavior

Abstract

We investigate energetically favorable configurations of point disclinations in nematic films having a bump geometry. Gradual expansion in the bump width {\Delta} gives rise to a sudden shift in the stable position of the disclinations from the top to the skirt of the bump. The positional shift observed across a threshold {\Delta}th obeys a power law function of |{\Delta}-{\Delta}th|, indicating a new class of continuous phase transition that governs the defect configuration in curved nematic films.