title: Mechanics of soft-solid-liquid-crystal interfaces.
abstract: The interfacial mechanics of soft elastic solids and nematic liquid crystals is presented. The theory can be applied to interfaces involving gels, elastomers, biomaterials, and thermotropic nematic liquid crystals. A model of anisotropic elastic interfaces is formulated and used to derive two fundamental capillary quantities: (i) interfacial torques on the nematic orientation, and (ii) capillary pressure. The couplings between soft-solid deformation and liquid-crystal anisotropic interfacial tension is shown to lead to strain-induced anchoring transitions, and strain-induced morphological instabilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Alejandro D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Rey