Light-controlled skyrmions and torons as reconfigurable particles
arXiv:1910.08045 · doi:10.1364/OE.27.029055
Abstract
Topological solitons, such as skyrmions, arise in field theories of systems ranging from Bose-Einstein condensates to optics, particle physics, and cosmology, but they are rarely accessible experimentally. Chiral nematic liquid crystals provide a platform to study skyrmions because of their natural tendency to form twisted structures arising from the lack of mirror symmetry at the molecular level. However, large-scale dynamic control and technological utility of skyrmions remain limited. Combining experiments and numerical modeling of chiral liquid crystals with optically controlled helical pitch, we demonstrate that low-intensity, unstructured light can control stability, dimensions, interactions, spatial patterning, self-assembly, and dynamics of these topological solitons.
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Cited by in corpus (7)
- Review: Topology of solitons and singular defects in chiral liquid crystals
- Skyrmion Spin Ice in Liquid Crystals
- Topological carnival: electrically-powered motions of toron crystallites in chiral liquid crystals
- Commensurate States and Pattern Switching via Liquid Crystal Skyrmions Trapped in a Square Lattice
- Optically enriched and guided dynamics of active skyrmions
- Alignment induced re-configurable walls for patterning and assembly of liquid crystal skyrmions
- Nonlinearity and Topology