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Flow-induced periodic chiral structures in an achiral nematic liquid crystal

Author

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  • Qing Zhang

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Weiqiang Wang

    (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

  • Shuang Zhou

    (University of Massachusetts Amherst)

  • Rui Zhang

    (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

  • Irmgard Bischofberger

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Supramolecular chirality typically originates from either chiral molecular building blocks or external chiral stimuli. Generating chirality in achiral systems in the absence of a chiral input, however, is non-trivial and necessitates spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking. Achiral nematic lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals have been reported to break mirror symmetry under strong surface or geometric constraints. Here we describe a previously unrecognised mechanism for creating chiral structures by subjecting the material to a pressure-driven flow in a microfluidic cell. The chirality arises from a periodic double-twist configuration of the liquid crystal and manifests as a striking stripe pattern. We show that the mirror symmetry breaking is triggered at regions of flow-induced biaxial-splay configurations of the director field, which are unstable to small perturbations and evolve into lower energy structures. The simplicity of this unique pathway to mirror symmetry breaking can shed light on the requirements for forming macroscopic chiral structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Qing Zhang & Weiqiang Wang & Shuang Zhou & Rui Zhang & Irmgard Bischofberger, 2024. "Flow-induced periodic chiral structures in an achiral nematic liquid crystal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-43978-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43978-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. R. Nakajima & D. Hirobe & G. Kawaguchi & Y. Nabei & T. Sato & T. Narushima & H. Okamoto & H. M. Yamamoto, 2023. "Giant spin polarization and a pair of antiparallel spins in a chiral superconductor," Nature, Nature, vol. 613(7944), pages 479-484, January.
    2. Xiao-Qian Liang & Ying-Zhou Li & Zhi Wang & Shan-Shan Zhang & Yi-Cheng Liu & Zhao-Zhen Cao & Lei Feng & Zhi-Yong Gao & Qing-Wang Xue & Chen-Ho Tung & Di Sun, 2021. "Revealing the chirality origin and homochirality crystallization of Ag14 nanocluster at the molecular level," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Karthik Nayani & Rui Chang & Jinxin Fu & Perry W. Ellis & Alberto Fernandez-Nieves & Jung Ok Park & Mohan Srinivasarao, 2015. "Spontaneous emergence of chirality in achiral lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals confined to cylinders," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-7, November.
    4. Yu Xia & Andrew A. DeBenedictis & Dae Seok Kim & Shenglan Chen & Se-Um Kim & Douglas J. Cleaver & Timothy J. Atherton & Shu Yang, 2019. "Programming emergent symmetries with saddle-splay elasticity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
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