Defects in Liquid Crystals: Computer Simulations, Theory and Experiments

Topological defects have an attraction in many different branches of physics ranging from cosmology to liquid crystals and from elementary particles to colloids and biological systems. The experimental and theoretical results on defects in liquid crystals are increasing rapidly, particularly in heterogeneous systems such as liquid crystal dispersions and emulsions. Interest is also driven by the technological potential of these systems. Microscopic organizations in systems with defects are much more complex than in uniform systems, meaning that molecular level theories rapidly become inadequate. Computer simulations thus become a useful tool for studying topological defects in liquid crystals, starting from microscopic molecular interactions. These have matured to successfully capture such features as order parameter gradients both in the core of defects and far from it. Further simulations can incorporate the role of bulk elasticity, surface interactions and external electromagnetic fields. This book provides coverage of these issues and also considers a number of open problems which can now be tackled. Emphasis is on the use of computer simulations to test and to complement theoretical predictions, explain experimental observations and suggest new experiments.