Generation of the Planar Solitons Using Thermal Trapping of a Disclination in Nematic Liquid Crystals and Their Applications (Advanced Optical Materials 6/2023)

The planar soliton, a p-wall in the form of a string with a constant thickness shown in a nematic, is a topological defect lacking singularity. In article number 2202694, Yonggi Sim and Hyunhee Choi introduce a thermal laser tweezer to trap and move a disclination under the low anchoring condition, resulting in the generation of solitons as if they were drawn. The cover image shows planar solitons periodically generated by the thermal laser tweezer and their polarization diffraction pattern. This work presents the noble characteristics and applicability of topological defects generated in nematic liquid crystals.