| We explore electrically-induced dynamics of colloidal inclusions in a liquid crystal. In the uniform electric field, the dynamics is caused through two prime mechanisms, dielectric reorientation of the director (backflow effect [1]) and through electrophoresis [2]. In addition to the classic Smoluchowski linear term in the velocity vs. field dependency, there is also a nonlinear contribution to the velocity that is quadratic in the field; its direction is generally different from the direction of the electric field [2]. In a non-uniform electric field, the particles can be moved by the dielectrophoretic effect; as an example, we demonstrate a formation of a liquid crystal from elongated gold nanorods dispersed in an isotropic fluid [3]. References [1] O. Pishnyak, S.V. Shiyanovskii, O.D. Lavrentovich, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 047801 (2011). [2] O. D. Lavrentovich, I. Lazo and O.P. Pishnyak, Nature 467, 947-950 (2010) [3] A.Golovin et al, Materials 4, 390-405 (2011). |
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