ROUTES TO SELF-ASSEMBLING STABLE PHOTONIC BAND-GAP PHASES IN EMULSIONS OF CHIRAL NEMATICS WITH ISOTROPIC FLUIDS

Blue phases are stable phases with crystalline packing of interwoven t opological defects in chiral nematic liquid crystals. We argue that ch iral nematics with appropriate surfactants are likely to form blue pha ses for a wide range of parameters. We derive the transition curve for stable emulsified blue phases and find that the required low surface tension is within the accessible range of surfactants. These emulsifie d blue phases provide possible routes to photonic band-gap materials.