Shape of nematic droplets in smectic membranes

Abstract

We found that the nematic droplets in smectic membranes and the configuration of the c-director field near droplets may rearrange drastically with droplet size and temperature. Investigations were made in the membranes with quadrupolar droplets. Large droplets are nearly circular, whereas small droplets become elongated. The elongation of the droplets increases with decreasing droplet size. At high temperature the droplets are found to be spindlelike with two cusps on their boundary. The observed transformations are explained by the competition between the elastic energy of the director field and the surface tension of the interface between the droplets and the smectic membrane.