Dr. Thomas Machon (U Bristol): On the possibility of blue phases in tetrahedrally ordered liquid crystals

Blue phases arise due to frustration between elastic and bulk contributions to the free energy in cholesteric liquid crystals. Landau theory predicts that it is possible for the same frustration to arise in phases of matter described by a spin 3 (octupolar) order parameter, such as certain bent-core liquid crystals. The Landau-Ginzburg theory of spin 3 order is analysed in detail, and two distinct `tetrahedral blue phase’ structures are proposed and shown to be energetically favoured over helical phases in certain parameter regimes.
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