title: Topological defect transformation and structural transition of two-dimensional colloidal crystals across the nematic to smectic-A phase transition.
abstract: We observe that topological defects in nematic colloids are strongly influenced by the elasticity and onset of smectic layering across the nematic (N) to smectic-A (SmA) phase transition. When approaching the SmA phase from above, the nematic hyperbolic hedgehog defect that accompanies a spherical colloidal inclusion is transformed into a focal conic line in the SmA phase. This phase transformation has a strong influence on the pairwise colloidal interaction and is responsible for a structural transition of two-dimensional colloidal crystals. The pretransitional behavior of the point defect is supported by Landau-de Gennes Q-tensor modeling accounting for the increasing elastic anisotropy.
authors: School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046, India.
authors: K P
authors: KP
authors: Zuhail
authors: School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046, India.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Sathyanarayana
authors: J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Seč
authors: J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Čopar
authors: Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Škarabot
authors: J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Muševič
authors: School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046, India.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Dhara