Photocontrollable Crystallization at the Topological Defect of a Liquid Crystalline Droplet

Photocontrollable
crystallization at topological defects in a liquid
crystal (LC) droplet was demonstrated. The molecules dissolved in
a surfactant solution outside the LC droplet were moved into the droplet
via light absorption. Nuclei emerged tens of seconds after light irradiation
and moved toward the topological defect located at the droplet center,
thus forming a branch-shaped crystal. This phenomenon was reproduced
for multiple different molecules; photoinduced migration, nucleation,
and crystal formation were discussed as a plausible mechanism.