title: Electric field controlled columnar and planar patterning of cholesteric colloids.
abstract: We study how dispersions of colloidal particles in a cholesteric liquid crystal behave under a time-dependent electric field. By controlling the amplitude and shape of the applied field wave, we show that the system can be reproducibly driven out of equilibrium through different kinetic pathways and navigated through a glassylike free energy landscape encompassing many competing metastable equilibria. Such states range from simple Saturn rings to complex structures featuring amorphous defect networks, or stacks of disclination loops. A nonequilibrium electric field can also trigger the alignment of particles into columnar arrays, through defect-mediated force impulses, or their repositioning within a plane. Our results are promising in terms of providing new avenues towards controlled patterning and self-assembly of soft colloid-liquid crystal composite materials.
authors.affiliation: SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Adamo
authors.affiliation: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marenduzzo
authors.affiliation: SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Micheletti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orlandini