Two-Dimensional Microfluidics: Stable Island Emulsions in Freely Suspended Smectic Liquid Crystal Films

ORAL

Abstract

Islands (circular regions of greater thickness) in smectic films are easily created and manipulated, but are generally unstable, tending to grow or shrink over time. We have recently created stable emulsions of smectic islands by ``work hardening'' of the smectic film using shear and extensional flow to form a dense, mechanically stable network of edge dislocations. In this talk, we discuss this novel type of two-dimensional colloidal system, in particular the island size distribution, network of edge dislocations and topological defects that form stable two-dimensional emulsions.

*Work supported by NSF MRSEC Grant DMR- 0820579 and NASA Grant NAG No. NNX07AE48G

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Authors

  • Cheol Park

    • University of Colorado at Boulder
    • Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Zoom Nguyen

    • University of Colorado at Boulder
    • Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Chaney Cranfill

    • University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Sarah Radzihovsky

    • University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Joe Maclennan

    • University of Colorado at Boulder
    • Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado at Boulder
    • Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Matt Glaser

    • University of Colorado at Boulder
    • Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Noel Clark

    • University of Colorado at Boulder
    • LCMRC, University of Colorado, Boulder
    • LCMRC, CU Boulder
    • Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado
    • Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado at Boulder
    • Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder
    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Material Research Center, University of Colorado-Boulder
    • Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder (CO) U.S.A.