Connecting and disconnecting nematic disclination lines in microfluidic channels.

@article{Agha2016ConnectingAD,
  title={Connecting and disconnecting nematic disclination lines in microfluidic channels.},
  author={Hakam Agha and Christian Bahr},
  journal={Soft matter},
  year={2016},
  volume={12 18},
  pages={
          4266-73
        }
}
Disclination lines in nematic liquid crystals can be used as "soft rails" for the transport of colloids or droplets through microfluidic channels [A. Sengupta, C. Bahr and S. Herminghaus, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 7251]. In the present study we report on a method to connect and disconnect disclination lines in microfluidic channels using the interplay between anchoring, flow, and electric field. We show that the application of an electric field establishes a continuous disclination that spans… 
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