Topological defects and interactions in nematic emulsions

摘要: Inverse nematic emulsions, in which surfactant-coated water droplets are dispersed a host fluid, have distinctive properties that set them apart from dispersions of two isotropic fluids or an fluid. We present comprehensive theoretical study the distortions produced by and solvent-mediated dipolar interactions between lead to their experimentally observed chaining. A single droplet acts like macroscopic hedgehog defect. Global boundary conditions force nucleation compensating topological defects host. Using variational techniques, we show lowest energy configuration, draws out form tightly bound dipole. Configurations is encircled disclination ring higher energy. The dipole induces effective dipole-dipole interaction droplets, hence