Mobius strip ties liquid crystal in knots to produce tomorrow's materials and photonic devices

Mobius strip ties liquid crystal in knots to produce tomorrow's materials and photonic devices
...they simulated adding a micron sized silica particle – or colloid – to the liquid crystal. This disrupts the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules.

For example, a colloid in the shape of a sphere will cause the liquid crystal molecules to align perpendicular to the surface of the sphere, a bit like a hedgehog's spikes.
Using a theoretical model, the University of Warwick scientists have taken this principle and extended it to colloids which have a knotted shape in the form a Möbius strip...


By adding these specially designed knotted particles they force the liquid crystal to take on the same structure, creating a knot in the liquid crystal...
"Recently it has been demonstrated that knots can be created in a variety of natural settings including electromagnetic fields, laser light, fluid vortices and liquid crystals.