Simon Čopar
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View article: Controlling curvature of self-assembling surfaces via patchy particle design
Controlling curvature of self-assembling surfaces via patchy particle design Open
Curved surfaces in soft matter and biological systems commonly emerge as a result of self-assembly processes where building blocks aggregate in a controlled manner, giving rise to specific system structure and properties. However, achievin…
View article: Anisotropic DLVO-like interaction for charge patchiness in colloids and proteins
Anisotropic DLVO-like interaction for charge patchiness in colloids and proteins Open
The behaviour and stability of soft and biological matter depend significantly on electrostatic interactions, as particles such as proteins and colloids acquire a charge when dispersed in an electrolytic solution. A typical simplification …
View article: Topologically reconfigurable nematic emulsions
Topologically reconfigurable nematic emulsions Open
In emulsions of multicomponent fluids, the dispersed phase forms tiny droplets in the continuous phase. In situ control and manipulation to achieve diversity in emulsion droplets for emerging applications is challenging. In a liquid crysta…
View article: Microchannel geometry effects on nematic dowser domain dynamics
Microchannel geometry effects on nematic dowser domain dynamics Open
In this study we show how to guide, resize and reshape aligned domains in liquid crystal flow via designed microchannel geometry.
View article: Anisotropic DLVO-like interaction for charge patchiness in colloids and proteins
Anisotropic DLVO-like interaction for charge patchiness in colloids and proteins Open
The behaviour and stability of soft and biological matter depend significantly on electrostatic interactions, as particles such as proteins and colloids acquire a charge when dispersed in an electrolytic solution. A typical simplification …
View article: Many-defect solutions in planar nematics: interactions, spiral textures and boundary conditions
Many-defect solutions in planar nematics: interactions, spiral textures and boundary conditions Open
Mathematica notebook of a solver for nematic textures around a set of point defects under certain boundary conditions.Contains functions that solve corresponding linear systems of equations for spiral charges of defects with or without ori…
View article: Experimenting with light at the 6th European Physics Olympiad
Experimenting with light at the 6th European Physics Olympiad Open
A good experimental task for a high school physics competition requires an interesting and relatable topic, careful testing, and meeting constraints of time, budget, and curriculum. This article presents the experimental task from the Euro…
View article: Many-defect solutions in planar nematics: interactions, spiral textures and boundary conditions
Many-defect solutions in planar nematics: interactions, spiral textures and boundary conditions Open
Combining topological and logarithmic singularities in nematic textures allows for control over defects shape and orientation. Prescribed defect orientation leads to non-central interdefect forces and changes annihilation trajectories.
View article: Magnetocontrollable droplet mobility on liquid crystal-infused porous surfaces
Magnetocontrollable droplet mobility on liquid crystal-infused porous surfaces Open
Supplementary material (further details of the stability of LCIPS against water-induced dewetting, the interfacial tension and contact angle measurement using a goniometer, the estimation of the thickness of LC wrapping layer at air-water …
View article: Measure of overlap between two arbitrary ellipses on a sphere
Measure of overlap between two arbitrary ellipses on a sphere Open
Various packing problems and simulations of hard and soft interacting particles, such as microscopic models of nematic liquid crystals, reduce to calculations of intersections and pair interactions between ellipsoids. When constrained to a…
View article: Dense packings of geodesic hard ellipses on a sphere
Dense packings of geodesic hard ellipses on a sphere Open
In systems of 2D geodesic spherical ellipses, the curvature of the underlying spherical surface introduces frustration in local and global order, resulting in disordered monodispersed packings.
View article: Measure of distance and overlap between two arbitrary ellipses on a sphere
Measure of distance and overlap between two arbitrary ellipses on a sphere Open
Various packing problems and simulations of hard and soft interacting particles, such as microscopic models of nematic liquid crystals, reduce to calculations of intersections and pair interactions between ellipsoids. When constrained to a…
View article: Introduction to Colloidal and Microfluidic Nematic Microstructures
Introduction to Colloidal and Microfluidic Nematic Microstructures Open
In this brief review, we give an introduction to selected colloidal and microfluidic nematic microstructures, as enabled by the inherent anisotropy and microscopic orientational ordering in complex liquid crystalline materials. We give a b…
View article: Self-shaping liquid crystal droplets by balancing bulk elasticity and interfacial tension
Self-shaping liquid crystal droplets by balancing bulk elasticity and interfacial tension Open
Significance Liquid crystal (LC) research is rapidly expanding to include studies of curved and topologically nontrivial structures. Here, we explore the role of the bulk LC elasticity and interfacial free energy under weak thermal stimuli…
View article: Long-range order in quadrupolar systems on spherical surfaces
Long-range order in quadrupolar systems on spherical surfaces Open
Many physical systems involve a spherical support, such as droplets, vesicles, fullerenes and protein assemblies. Quadrupoles on different spherical lattices are shown to orient in interesting ways that result in various degrees of symmetr…
View article: Gaps in the fractional parts of square roots
Gaps in the fractional parts of square roots Open
Fractional parts of the first $N$ natural numbers fill the unit interval with asymptotically uniform density. However, the gaps around rational points shrink at an asymptotically lower rate $N^{-1/2}$, and their widths scale with the Thoma…
View article: Periodic Arrays of Chiral Domains Generated from the Self-Assembly of Micropatterned Achiral Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystal
Periodic Arrays of Chiral Domains Generated from the Self-Assembly of Micropatterned Achiral Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystal Open
Achiral building blocks forming achiral structures is a common occurrence in nature, while chirality emerging spontaneously from an achiral system is usually associated with important scientific phenomena. We report on the spontaneous chir…
View article: Orientational ordering of point dipoles on a sphere
Orientational ordering of point dipoles on a sphere Open
Arrangement of interacting particles on a sphere is historically a well known\nproblem, however, ordering of particles with anisotropic interaction, such as\nthe dipole-dipole interaction, has remained unexplored. We solve the\norientation…
View article: Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials
Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials Open
In liquid crystal applications, boundary conditions are essential to ensuring suitable bulk molecular orientation and a deterministic response to external fields. Be it confinement to a droplet or a shell, a glass plate, or an interface wi…
View article: Symmetry breaking on icosahedral lattices of dipoles
Symmetry breaking on icosahedral lattices of dipoles Open
Symmetry is one of the key properties of spherical assemblies in biological and complex matter, and examples include viral capsids, virus-like particles, and nanocontainers designed for various purposes. Anisotropic interactions between bu…
View article: Three-Dimensional Active Defect Loops
Three-Dimensional Active Defect Loops Open
We describe the flows and morphological dynamics of topological defect lines and loops in three-dimensional active nematics and show, using theory and numerical modeling, that they are governed by the local profile of the orientational ord…
View article: Spotting plants’ microfilament morphologies and nanostructures
Spotting plants’ microfilament morphologies and nanostructures Open
Significance Microfibers existing in the tracheary systems of plants are crucial for the plants to survive. These microfilaments are curled up, forming left-handed helices that make the contour of tubes responsible for the transport of wat…
View article: Spherical structure factor and classification of hyperuniformity on the sphere
Spherical structure factor and classification of hyperuniformity on the sphere Open
Understanding how particles are arranged on the surface of a sphere is not only central to numerous physical, biological, soft matter, and materials systems but also finds applications in computational problems, approximation theory, and a…
View article: Sculpting stable structures in pure liquids
Sculpting stable structures in pure liquids Open
Orientational phase domains in nonequilibrium nematic fluids are sculpted by microfluidic flows and laser pulses.
View article: Mosaics of topological defects in micropatterned liquid crystal textures
Mosaics of topological defects in micropatterned liquid crystal textures Open
Temperature-driven formation of kaleidoscopic mosaics of topological defects is achieved in micropatterned liquid crystals.