Topology matters

Rosamund Daw

Nature, 2013, vol. 493, issue 7431, 168-168

Abstract: Soft matter shapes up Colloidal particles typically have a minimum-area spherical or topologically equivalent shape determined by the minimization of surface energy. In this paper, colloidal particles of higher topological 'genus' or g value—from doughnut-shaped g = 1 through 'pair of glasses' g = 2 to g = 5—have been synthesized and studied. When introduced into a nematic liquid crystal, these colloidal particles align and generate three-dimensional director fields and defects in the liquid crystal fluid that can be manipulated with a variety of methods and their charge characteristics studied. This opens up a new area of exploration in the field of soft matter and applications of colloids and liquid crystals that could include topological memory devices and shape-dictated self-assembly.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/493168a

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