1. Open Access Kent State
  2. Levitation, Lift, and Bidirectional Motion of Colloidal Particles in an Electrically Driven Nematic Liquid Crystal
Author(s)
Abstract

We study electric-field-induced dynamics of colloids in a nematic cell, experimentally and by computer simulations. Solid particles in the nematic bulk create director distortions of dipolar type. Elastic repulsion from the walls keeps the particles in the middle of cell. The ac electric field reorients the dipoles and lifts them to top or bottom, depending on dipole orientation. Once near the walls, the colloids are carried along two antiparallel horizontal directions by nematic backflow. Computer simulations of the backflow agree with the experiment.
Format
Article
Identifier(s)
10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.127802
Publication Date
2007-09-21
Publication Title
Physical Review Letters
Volume
99
Issue
12
Keywords
Subject
Community
Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program
Comments

Copyright 2007 American Physical Society. Available on publisher's site at http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.
Permalink https://oaks.kent.edu/cpippubs/215
Pishnyak, O., Tang, S., Kelly, J., Shiyanovskii, S., & Lavrentovich, O. (2007). Levitation, Lift, and Bidirectional Motion of Colloidal Particles in an Electrically Driven Nematic Liquid Crystal. Physical Review Letters. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.127802
Pishnyak, Oleg, S. Tang, Jack Kelly, Sergij Shiyanovskii, and Oleg Lavrentovich. 2007. “Levitation, Lift, and Bidirectional Motion of Colloidal Particles in an Electrically Driven Nematic Liquid Crystal”. Physical Review Letters. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.127802.
Pishnyak, O., S. Tang, J. Kelly, S. Shiyanovskii, and O. Lavrentovich. Levitation, Lift, and Bidirectional Motion of Colloidal Particles in an Electrically Driven Nematic Liquid Crystal. Physical Review Letters, 21 Sept. 2007, doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.127802.