Shape Morphing of Twisted Nematic Elastomer Shells

We study the geometry of Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Elastomers (TNLCEs) by modeling a layered TNLCE with a varying nematic director. We present a mathematical framework in terms of elasticity theory wherein we identify a novel term that results from the interplay between the orientational order and elasticity. This emergent term dominates the traditional bending contributions but is weaker than the stretching components. Additionally, we explore the shape morphing of these materials by adapting our theoretical framework from a continuous to a discrete setting.