abstract

• In this work, we performed NpT Monte Carlo simulations of a Gay-Berne discotic liquid crystal confined in a spherical droplet under face-on anchoring and fixed pressure. We find that, in contrast to the unbounded system, a plot of the order parameter as function of temperature does not show a clear evidence of a first-order isotropic-nematic transition. We also find that the impossibility of simultaneously satisfy the uniform director field requirement of a nematic phase with the radial boundary conditions, results in the appearance of a ring disclination line as a stress release mechanism in the interior of the droplet. Under further cooling, a columnar phase appears at the center of the droplet. © 2022 IOP Publishing Ltd.

authors

• Díaz-Herrera E.
• Martínez González José Adrián
• Salgado-Blanco D.

publication date

• 2022-01-01

funding provided via

• CF-2019-74885; IN-103419, IN-109922  Grant

published in

• Journal of Physics Condensed Matter  Journal

keywords

• confinement; discotic liquid crystals; Monte Carlo simulations; spherical nanodroplets Drops; Intelligent systems; Liquid crystals; Anchorings; Confinement; Defects formation; Discotic liquid crystal; Monte Carlo's simulation; Nano-droplets; Ring defects; Spherical droplets; Spherical nanodroplet; Unbounded systems; Monte Carlo methods; article; cooling; liquid crystal; male; Monte Carlo method; physiological stress

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1088/1361-648X/ac630b

PubMed ID

• 35358952

start page

end page

volume

• 34

issue

• 25