J1-0155 — Annual report 2009
1.
Memory effects in randomly perturbed systems exhibiting continuous symmetry breaking

We studied numerically memory effects in mixtures of liquid crystals (LCs) and nanoparticles (NPs) deep in the nematic LC phase. LC-NP coupling was simulated by Lebwohl-Lasher lattice model. We assumed that NPs affect LC molecules as a quenched random anisotropy field. Such behavior is expected when NP generate in LC matrix topological dipoles. We show that in such systems information could be stored in a controlled way.

COBISS.SI-ID: 17229832
2.
Influence of confinement in controlled-pore glass on the layer spacing of smectic-A liquid crystals

We studied experimentally and theoretically influence of disorder on periodic translational ordering in binary systems. The first system component exhibits translational ordering and the second component acts as a random field. A possible experimental realization of such a system represents a liquid crystal immersed in porous glass. X-ray scattering revealed pronounced memory effects. To explain measurements theoretically we had to take into account phenomena at molecular scale.

COBISS.SI-ID: 17229832