Curvature-controlled topological defects

Luka Mesarec (Author), Pavlo Kurioz (Author), Aleš Iglič (Author), Wojciech Góźdź (Author), Samo Kralj (Author)

Abstract

Effectively, two-dimensional (2D) closed films exhibiting in-plane orientational ordering (ordered shells) might be instrumental for the realization of scaled crystals. In them, ordered shells are expected to play the role of atoms. Furthermore, topological defects (TDs) within them would determine their valence. Namely, bonding among shells within an isotropic liquid matrix could be established via appropriate nano-binders (i.e., linkers) which tend to be attached to the cores of TDs exploiting the defect core replacement mechanism. Consequently, by varying configurations of TDs one could nucleate growth of scaled crystals displaying different symmetries. For this purpose, it is of interest to develop a simple and robust mechanism via which one could control the position and number of TDs in such atoms. In this paper, we use a minimal mesoscopic model, where variational parameters are the 2D curvature tensor and the 2D orientational tensor order parameter. We demonstrate numerically the efficiency of the effective topological defect cancellation mechanism to predict positional assembling of TDs in ordered films characterized by spatially nonhomogeneous Gaussian curvature. Furthermore, we show how one could efficiently switch among qualitatively different structures by using a relative volume v of ordered shells, which represents a relatively simple naturally accessible control parameter.

Keywords

topološki defekti;Gaussova ukrivljenost;samourejanje;tvorba in rast kristalov;topological defects;Gaussian curvature;self-assembling;crystal growth nucleation;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2017
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UM FNM - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
UDC:	548/549
COBISS:	11753556
ISSN:	2073-4352
Views:	829
Downloads:	376
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary keywords:	topološki defekti;Gaussova ukrivljenost;samourejanje;tvorba in rast kristalov;
URN:	URN:SI:UM:
Type (COBISS):	Scientific work
Pages:	str. 1-11
Volume:	ǂVol. ǂ7
Issue:	ǂno. ǂ6
Chronology:	2017
DOI:	10.3390/cryst7060153
ID:	13518229