Microscopic Measurements of Deformation of Liquid Surfaces Induced by Localized Direct Current Electric Field

Microscopic measurements of deformation of liquid surfaces induced by localized direct current electric field.

This study presents a new microscopic method for the measurements of the deformation of liquid surfaces induced by a localized direct current (dc) electric field in a noncontact manner. Since the dielectric constant of aqueous and organic liquids is larger than that of air, the liquids tend to occupy a space with a stronger electric field. The horizontal level of transparent surfaces was measur...

Electric field-induced deformation of polydimethylsiloxane polymers

Liquid crystal order in colloidal suspensions of spheroidal particles by direct current electric field assembly.

DC electric fields are used to produce colloidal assemblies with orientational and layered positional order from a dilute suspension of spheroidal particles. These 3D assemblies, which can be visualized in situ by confocal microscopy, are achieved in short time spans (t < 1 h) by the application of a constant voltage across the capacitor-like device. This method yields denser and more ordered a...

Electric-field-induced deformation of a chiral liquid-crystal elastomer in smectic A phase

Mechanical response to electrical stimulus has been investigated in a chiral smectic A elastomer. During the application of electric field, the two-dimensional strain tensor was precisely measured by tracking fluorescent beads dispersed on the film. It was found that the shear strain is dominantly induced by the electric field and proportional to the applied electric field.

Electric-field-induced deformation dynamics of a single nematic disclination.

Disclinations in nematic liquid crystals usually adopt a straight shape in order to minimize their elastic energy. Once created in the course of a nonequilibrium process such as a temperature quench from the isotropic to the nematic phase, the topologically stable disclinations of half-integer strength either annihilate each other in pairs of opposite strength or form topologically unstable dis...