Defect Mediated Ordering Kinetics of Sheared Bent-core Liquid Crystals

Dense packings of long slender rods and fibers with a preferred radius of curvature have been studied in a wide variety of physical systems ranging from kinked molecules and curved bacteria to stiff filaments and colloidal bananas. These systems are known to be frustrated by the inability of uniform bend to fill space. As a result, they must couple their local preference for bend with other deformation modes, such as twist and splay. This frustration of local order has been shown to give rise to a variety of unique ordered states and exotic defect textures such as screw/edge dislocations and double twist cylinders (i.e. Skyrmions and Merons). While the equilibrium behavior of these novel phases has been the subject of much recent attention, it is yet to be understood how these ordered phases respond to applied stress. In this talk, we will present non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to study the response of these ordered states under shear flow, with a particular focus on understanding the role that topological defects play in mediating the flow and uncovering potential mechanisms for controlling the structure and functionality of these unique systems.