Plate theory for metric-constrained actuation of liquid crystal
elastomer sheets
Plate theory for metric-constrained actuation of liquid crystal
elastomer sheets
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) marry the large deformation response of a cross-linked polymer network with the nematic order of liquid crystals pendent to the network. Of particular interest is the actuation of LCE sheets where the nematic order, modeled by a unit vector called the director, is specified heterogeneously in …