2024/03/15 by Rodrigo C. V. Coelho, J. Agostinho Moreira, Coelho, Rodrigo C. V. +5
Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Adhesion, Friction, and Surface Interactions #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn) #Liquid Crystal Research Advancements #Micro and Nano Robotics #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2403.10178
openalex publication_date 2024/03/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
A surface in contact with the isotropic phase of a passive liquid crystal can induce nematic order over distances that range from microscopic to macroscopic when the nematic-isotropic interface undergoes an orientational-wetting transition. If the nematic is active, what happens to the interface? Does it propagate and, if it does, is its structure different from the passive one? In this paper, we address these questions. We investigate how the active nematic-isotropic interface is affected by the anchoring strength of the surface, the bulk ordering field and the activity. We find that while passive interfaces are one-dimensional the active ones exhibit two dynamical regimes: a passive-like regime and a propagating regime where the interfaces propagate until the entire domain is active nematic. Active interfaces break the translational symmetry within the interfacial plane above a threshold activity, where the active nematic fluctuations, which are ultimately responsible for the emergence of an active turbulent nematic phase, drive non-steady dynamical interfacial regimes.