Self-assembly of dipolar particles assisted by external magnetic/electric field is relevant in the development of a wide range of applications. The inherent chain formation leads to outstanding magnetic properties that can be beneficial to drug delivery, microfluidic systems, electrophotographic devices,  data recording , etc. In this talk, I will address the lateral aggregation of dipolar chains driven by thermal fluctuations in an external strong magnetic field. A newly discovered  simple electrostatic mechanism is exposed. The resulting curvature-mediated quadrupolar coupling rationalizes the counter-intuitive lateral coalescence of dipolar chains. Besides, our Monte Carlo simulations results corroborate this mechanism. These findings shed new light on a longstanding problem in soft matter and related areas.

Please contact phweb@ust.hk should you have questions about the talk.