Smectic blue phases: layered systems with high intrinsic curvature.
We report on a construction for smectic blue phases, which have quasi-long-range smectic translational order as well as three-dimensional crystalline order. Our proposed structures fill space by adding layers on top of a minimal surface, introducing either curvature or edge defects as necessary. We find that for the right range of material parameters, the favorable saddle-splay energy of these structures can stabilize them against uniform layered structures. We also consider the nature of curvature frustration between mean curvature and saddle splay.
DiDonna
B A
BA
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6396, USA.
Kamien
Randall D
RD