Self-assembly is a ubiquitous process in synthetic and biological systems, broadly defined
as the spontaneous organization of multiple subunits (macromolecules, particles, etc.) into …

This article analyzes modulated phases in liquid crystals, from the long-established
cholesteric and blue phases to the recently discovered twist-bend, splay-bend, and splay …

This article re-examines a classic question in liquid-crystal physics: What are the elastic
modes of a nematic liquid crystal? The analysis uses a recent mathematical construction …

We explore the potential of nanocrystals (a term used equivalently to nanoparticles) as
building blocks for nanomaterials, and the current advances and open challenges for …

More than one-quarter of molecular crystals that are able to be melted can be made to grow
in the form of twisted lamellae or fibers. The mechanisms leading to such unusual crystal …

Thin nematic elastomers, composite hydrogels, and plant tissues are among many systems
that display uniform anisotropic deformation upon external actuation. In these materials, the …

Geometric frustration arises whenever the constituents of a physical assembly locally favor
an arrangement that cannot be realized globally. Recently, such frustrated assemblies were …

Ordinary nematic liquid crystals are characterized by having a uniform director field as
ground state. In such a state, the director is the same everywhere and no distortion is to be …

Flat sheets encoded with patterns of contraction/elongation morph into curved surfaces. If
the surfaces bear Gauss curvature, the resulting actuation can be strong and powerful. We …

In self-assembling systems, geometric frustration leads to complex states characterized by
internal gradients of shape misfit. Frustrated assemblies have drawn recent interest due to …