The Cosmological Kibble Mechanism in the Laboratory: String Formation in Liquid Crystals

TL;DR

This study experimentally demonstrates the Kibble mechanism by observing string formation in liquid crystals during phase transition, confirming theoretical predictions with high accuracy.

Contribution

First direct laboratory observation of the Kibble mechanism in liquid crystals, validating theoretical models of defect formation during phase transitions.

Findings

String formation probability per bubble is 0.33 ± 0.01

Experimental results agree with the theoretical value of 1/π in two dimensions

Observation confirms the Kibble mechanism in liquid crystal phase transitions

Abstract

I report on the observation of the production of strings (disclination lines and loops) via the Kibble mechanism of domain (bubble) formation in the isotropic to nematic phase transition of a sample of uniaxial nematic liquid crystal. The probablity of string formation per bubble is measured to be $0.33 \pm 0.01$. This is in good agreement with the theoretical value $1/ \pi$ expected in two dimensions for the order parameter space $S^2/{\bf Z}_2$ of a simple uniaxial nematic liquid crystal. ( NB: The only change is a correction of the preprint number for proper referencing and the title page.)