Topology- driven collective dynamics of nematic colloidal entanglement

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Jiang, Jinghua; Isaac, Oluwafemi; Wang, Xinyu; Asilehan, Zhawure; Tang, Wentao; Zhang, Jing; Chen, Zijun; Wang, Ruijie; Ranabhat, Kamal; Zhang, Rui; Peng, Chenhui
• 署名单位: Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Science & Technology of China, CAS; University of Memphis; Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-8584
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402395121
• 发表日期: 2024-09-10
• 关键词: crystals; defects

摘要

Entanglement in a soft condensed matter system is enabled in the form of entangled disclination lines by using colloidal particles in nematic liquid crystals. These topological excitations are manifested as colloidal entanglement at equilibrium. How to further utilize nonequilibrium disclination lines to manipulate colloidal entanglement remains a nontrivial and challenging task. In this work, we use experiments and simulations to demonstrate the reconfigurations of nematic colloidal entanglement in light- driven spatiotemporal evolutions of disclination lines. Colloidal entanglement can sense subtle changes in the topological structures of disclination lines and realize chirality conversion. This conversion is manifested as the domino effect of the collective rotation of colloids in the disclination lines. By programming the topological patterns and the geometry of the disclination lines, colloidal entanglement can be assembled and split. More remarkably, a double- helix entangled structure can be formed by controlling the changes in the morphology of the disclination lines. Thus, this work will provide opportunities to program colloidal composites for smart materials and micromachines.