The existing infrastructure for managing the flow of information along the photonic pathways and in our computers is in most segments based on electrically encoded information and the transport of electric charges using the electric force. This process is limiting the speed of signal propagation and is costly in terms of energy dissipation. The predicted worldwide energy consumption of data centers for 2050 is approaching the electric energy generated in the European Union in 2010! It is...

Summary: Spherical colloids with isotropic properties have been used as building blocks to assemble a variety of 2D and 3D structures in past, such as FCC, HCP, and BCT crystals. Anisotropic particles are, however, more faithful mimics of molecules and atoms because of the anisotropic interactions. Current synthetic methods are versatile and accurate enough to create and tune the anisotropic properties in geometry, chemical composition, surface functionality, and physical properties. In the...

Ivan Smalyukh gives a talk at the LC2CAM 08 conference about nematic colloids, how they are bound, methods of assembly, localized defects, and exotic assembly.

Pavel Bryk, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University Abstract: Effective interactions between macroparticles play a key role in predicting the stability of colloidal suspensions. The bare interactions between macroparticles are attractive at larger separations due to the dispersion forces between the atoms forming the colloidal particles. In order to prevent aggregation the colloidal suspension must be stabilized either by charge or sterically. Technical developments during last two decades made...

Stanislav Chernyshuk, Institute of Physics Abstract: A direct observation of the photochemical switching between colloidal crystals with different lattice constants in a liquid-crystal emulsion is reported. Glycerol droplets introduced in a nematic liquid crystal form two-dimensional hexagonal colloidal crystal at the nematic-air interface with a lattice constant depending on the surface tension LCA. We dope an azobenzene derivative into the LC emulsion to modulate the colloidal structures...

Akihiko Matsuyama, Kyushu Institute of Technology Abstract: We present a mean field theory to describe phase separations in mixtures of a liquid crystal and a colloidal particle. By taking into account a nematic and a smectic A ordering of liquid crystals and a crystalline ordering of colloidal particles, we calculate the phase diagrams on the temperature-concentration plane. We predict various phase separations, such as a smectic A-crystal phase separation and a smectic A-nematic-crystal...

Victor Pergamenshchik, Institute of Physics Abstract: Colloids interact via the nematic director. As the interaction is of a long range, nematic colloids are much closer to electrostatic systems than to standard colloids in isotropic liquids. I will talk about an elastic "charge" and elastic mutipoles, about their interaction and strange properties, e.g., elastic charge is a vector, elastic dipole can be chiral... and more. Presented at PSSM Workshop on Liquid Crystals and Colloidal...

Clayton Lapointe, University of Colorado at Boulder Abstract: Colloidal particles suspended in nematic liquid crystals are known to exhibit highly directional interactions mediated by the elasticity of the liquid crystal. Using lithographically fabricated platelet colloids having equilateral polygonal shapes, we show that colloids with an even number of sides form elastic quadrupoles whereas those with an odd number of sides form elastic dipoles. These qualitatively different interactions...