PhD offer (M/F): Topological structuring of liquid crystals under spatiotemporal external driving fields

  • Talence, Gironde
  • CDD
  • Temps-plein
  • Il y a 2 mois
Offer DescriptionThe PhD candidate (M/F) will establish experimental protocols to achieve tailored spatiotemporal external driving fields of various nature. Specifically, using a combination of polarizing optical elements, the light beam will be shaped both in time and space to prepare various structured light excitations. Homemade approaches will be used to tailor electric and magnetic fields as well. Prepared structured fields will be applied to liquid crystal sample and resulting dynamic phenomena will be systematically registered and analyzed. The candidate (M/F) will be closely guided by advisors and host group Singular and will acquire both theoretical and experimental skills on laser beam tailoring, polarimetry, light and matter topology. The candidate (M/F) will benefit from interdisciplinary environment of LOMA via constant interaction with experts in both experimental and theoretical research in domains of soft matter and photonics.This project aims to answer the question of how the spatiotemporal properties of external driving fields can be used to harness topological properties of liquid crystals in time and space.
This project is built at the intersection of soft, active and driven matter and photonics. Particles (either physical inclusions - colloids, or orientational structures) will be incorporated into liquid crystal samples and further manipulated by spatiotemporally structured external driving fields. In particular, structured light, electric and magnetic fields will be applied. The kinetics and the interaction between the particles will be studied using spatially resolved polarimetry and high-speed imaging in the optical domain. A rich variety of dynamic particle interactions and emerging behaviors are expected and will be studied. Also, this experimental project aims at bringing new opportunities for on-demand reconfigurable structuring of liquid crystal director field enriched by the presence of dynamic inclusions. This means that the combination of dynamics of particles together with external driving is expected to play a key role on liquid crystal reorientation. The project aim is twofold: (i) to explore the fundamentals of dynamic pattern formation and dynamic field-induced topological structuring of liquid crystals, and (ii) to pave the way toward realization of self-assembled soft actuators and circuits for particle transport in liquid crystals.RequirementsResearch Field Chemistry Education Level PhD or equivalentResearch Field Physics Education Level PhD or equivalentResearch Field Physics Education Level PhD or equivalentLanguages FRENCH Level BasicResearch Field Chemistry » Physical chemistry Years of Research Experience NoneResearch Field Physics » Chemical physics Years of Research Experience NoneResearch Field Physics » Biophysics Years of Research Experience NoneAdditional InformationWebsite for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Laboratoire ondes et matière d'Aquitaine Country France City TALENCE GeofieldWhere to apply WebsiteContact CityTALENCE WebsiteSTATUS: EXPIRED

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