Extended Data Fig. 6: Colloidal director rotation and nematic ordering versus temperature.
From: Thermally reconfigurable monoclinic nematic colloidal fluids
a–i, Numerical visualizations (a, e, i) and upconversion-based luminescence confocal images (b–d, f–h) of disks in the monoclinic and orthorhombic nematic phases with out-of-plane nm at disk number density ρ = 0.31 μm−3 and at T = 27.0 ± 0.1 °C (b), T = 28.0 ± 0.1 °C (c), T = 30.0 ± 0.1 °C (d), T = 31.0 ± 0.1 °C (f), T = 32.5 ± 0.1 °C (g) and T = 33.0 ± 0.1 °C (h). Note the pretransitional smectic correlations in the vicinity of the smectic phase temperature range in f, g. nc tilts out of the sample plane owing to the temperature-dependent variation of θne, consistent with the elliptical cross-section of disks, revealing oblique orientations of ωc and nc relative to nm at T = 32.5 ± 0.1 °C (g) and T = 33.0 ± 0.1 °C (h). Grey planes in a, e, i depict the orientation of confocal images relative to the directors. Scale bars and nm orientation shown between panels b, c and f, g are the same for all images. j, fc(θ, φ) versus azimuthal angle φ of ωc at ρ = 0.34 μm−3 and different T values. k, fc(θ, φ) versus φ at T = 27.0 ± 0.1 °C for different ρ values. l, Δ (red squares) and S (black circles) versus ρ at T = 27.0 ± 0.1 °C. The disk surface charge is Z*e ≈ +80e.
