Cuiling Meng (Author), Jin-Sheng Wu (Author), Žiga Kos (Author), Jörn Dunkel (Author), Cristiano Nisoli (Author), Ivan I. Smalyukh (Author)

Abstract

Liquid crystals have proven to provide a versatile experimental and theoretical platform for studying topological objects such as vortices, skyrmions, and hopfions. In parallel, in hard condensed matter physics, the concept of topological phases and topological order has been introduced in the context of spin liquids to investigate emergent phenomena like quantum Hall effects and high-temperature superconductivity. Here, we bridge these two seemingly disparate perspectives on topology in physics. Combining experiments and simulations, we show how topological defects in liquid crystals can be used as versatile building blocks to create complex, highly degenerate topological phases, which we refer to as “combinatorial vortex lattices” (CVLs). CVLs exhibit extensive residual entropy and support locally stable quasiparticle excitations in the form of charge-conserving topological monopoles, which can act as mobile information carriers and be linked via Dirac strings. CVLs can be rewritten and reconfigured on demand, endowed with various symmetries, and modified through laser-induced topological surgery—an essential capability for information storage and retrieval. We demonstrate experimentally the realization, stability, and precise optical manipulation of CVLs, thus opening new avenues for understanding and technologically exploiting higher-hierarchy topology in liquid crystals and other ordered media.

Keywords

fizika mehke snovi;tekoči kristali;topološki defekti;soft matter physics;liquid crystals;topological defects;combinatorial vortex lattices;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization: UL FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
UDC: 538.9
COBISS: 239126531 Link will open in a new window
ISSN: 2160-3308
Views: 211
Downloads: 33
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Other data

Secondary language: Slovenian
Secondary keywords: fizika mehke snovi;tekoči kristali;topološki defekti;
Type (COBISS): Article
Pages: str. 021084-1-021084-18
Volume: ǂVol. ǂ15
Issue: ǂiss. ǂ2
Chronology: 2025
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.15.021084
ID: 26571771