title: Using particle shape to induce tilted and bistable liquid crystal anchoring.
abstract: We use Monte Carlo simulations of hard Gaussian overlap (HGO) particles symmetrically confined in slab geometry to investigate the role of particle-substrate interactions on liquid crystalline anchoring. Despite the restriction here to purely steric interactions and smooth substrates, a range of behaviors are captured, including tilted anchoring and homeotropic-planar bistability. These macroscopic behaviors are all achieved through appropriate tuning of the microscopics of the HGO-substrate interaction, based upon nonadditive descriptions for the HGO-substrate shape parameter.
authors.affiliation: Centre Européen de Calcul Atomique et Moléculaire, 46, Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barmes
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cleaver