Controlled orientation and order of nanorod assemblies confined within liquid crystal topological defects

We will study the structure of nanorod assemblies confined within smectic grain boundary topological defects. We have shown that these nanorod assemblies present well-defined order and orientation everywhere on a given sample leading to anisotropic optical properties. However, in order to take full profit of these properties but also in a more fundamental perspective, to understand in depth the anisotropy that can be reached for the optical properties of nanorods arrays, it is important to fully control the structure of these nanorod arrays. We will thus determine the order and orientation of various nanorod assemblies as a function of nanorod size and of nature of the ligands grafted around the nanorods that may be coupled to the smectic layers below the nanorod assemblies. We will study the impact of the liquid crystal structural variations as a function of thickness. We will then build a model of the coupling between nanorods assemblies and smectic defects.