Open AccessCubatic phase for tetrapods
Author(s) -
Ronald Blaak,
Bela M. Mulder,
Daan Frenkel
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
the journal of chemical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 357
eISSN - 1089-7690
pISSN - 0021-9606
DOI - 10.1063/1.1649733
Subject(s) - rod , liquid crystal , tetrahedron , phase (matter) , materials science , optics , condensed matter physics , physics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
We investigate the phase behavior of tetrapods, hard nonconvex bodies formed by four rods connected under tetrahedral angles. We predict that, depending on the relative lengths of the rods these particles can form a uniaxial nematic phase, and more surprisingly they can exhibit a cubatic phase, a special case of the biaxial nematic phase. These predictions may be experimentally testable, as experimental realizations of tetrapods have recently become available.
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