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1.汕头大学 理学院, 广东 汕头 515063
2.广东省车载显示触控技术企业重点实验室, 广东 汕头 515047
Received:22 December 2025,
Revised:2026-02-05,
Published:05 March 2026
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WU Zuoyong, CHEN Yali, LIN Yuxuan, et al. Research progress on topological defects in liquid crystals under boundary conditions[J]. Chinese Journal of Liquid Crystals and Displays, 2026, 41(3): 319-332.
WU Zuoyong, CHEN Yali, LIN Yuxuan, et al. Research progress on topological defects in liquid crystals under boundary conditions[J]. Chinese Journal of Liquid Crystals and Displays, 2026, 41(3): 319-332. DOI: 10.37188/CJLCD.2025-0253. CSTR: 32172.14.CJLCD.2025-0253.
液晶是一类兼具液体流动性与晶体有序性的各向异性软物质,因其光学、电学及力学性质的显著各向异性从而在显示及光调控领域获得广泛应用。此外,凭借独特的长程有序性,液晶已成为研究连续介质有序性与对称性破缺的理想模型。然而液晶的长程有序性并非绝对稳定,其在自组装过程中或受到外界扰动时,往往会产生缺陷。随着软物质物理与拓扑场论的发展,人们对液晶缺陷的理解逐渐从“被动形成的缺陷结构”转向“可编程的功能单元”。为此,本文综述了液晶缺陷的起源、分类、形成机理以及其基于边界条件约束的可控构筑与应用前景。首先,从缺陷的物理定义出发,梳理了向错、位错等缺陷类型及拓扑特征;接着,分析了液晶取向有序性与缺陷形成的内在关联;随后,从不同类型边界条件对液晶取向场约束作用出发,分别讨论了固体界面的微结构化约束、自由界面的自发锚定效应以及外场驱动下流体软界面的边界约束响应等3种视角下液晶缺陷在空间位置与构型上的可控实现方式。最后,展望了液晶拓扑缺陷在拓扑光子学、可调激光器、微流控操控与胶体组装等前沿领域的应用前景。
Liquid crystals are anisotropic soft materials that combine fluidity with long-range orientational order, exhibiting pronounced optical, electrical, and mechanical anisotropy, which underpins their widespread use in displays and optical modulation. Furthermore, their unique ordered states also make them ideal model systems for studying symmetry breaking and continuous media order. However, such order is not perfect; defects readily form during self-assembly or under external perturbation. Advances in soft-matter physics and topological field theory have shifted the perception of defects from mere structural imperfections to programmable functional units. In this review, we summarize the origins, classification, and formation mechanisms of defects in liquid crystals, with a focus on their controllable construction via boundary conditions and their emerging applications. First, we outline fundamental defect types, including disclinations and dislocations, and describe their topological characteristics. This is followed by an analysis of the relationship between orientational order and defect formation. We then discuss strategies for regulating defects from three interfacial perspectives: microstructured solid boundaries, spontaneous anchoring at free interfaces, and field-responsive soft fluid interfaces, with an emphasis on spatial and configurational control. Finally, we highlight prospective applications in topological photonics, tunable lasers, microfluidic manipulation, and colloidal assembly.
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