Gregor Skačej

Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
University of Ljubljana
Jadranska 19
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia

email: gregor.skacej(at)fmf.uni-lj.si
phone: +386 1 4766627
fax: +386 1 2517281



  • born: 1973 in Maribor, Slovenia
  • BSc (1996), MSc (1999), and PhD (2002) in physics; University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 1996-present: with the Department of Physics, University of Ljubljana (group website), currently as assistant professor
  • 2003-2005: postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bologna (group website); also with INFN Bologna
  • 2010-2013: part-time researcher at the NAMASTE Center of Excellence
  • 2018: researcher at the University of Bologna (group website)
  • languages: Slovene, English, German, French, Italian


    For students

  • teaching this semester: Seminar (for Physics students), exercise classes: Physics 1, Physics 2 (both for Mathematics students),
  • past courses: Statistical Thermodynamics (for Physics students), Physics (for Biology students), Theoretical Basics of Printing Processes (for Graphic and Media Technology students), exercise classes: Statistical Thermodynamics, Advanced Statistical Physics (both for Physics students), Physics (for Physics students), Physics (for Applied Physics students), Physics (for Laboratory Biomedicine students), Physics (for Pharmacy students), Thermodynamics, Statistical Physics, laboratory classes: Physics Laboratory 1 & 2, Physics Laboratory 3 & 4
  • contact me to discuss possible thesis projects; see also here

    Textbooks

  • Solved Problems in Thermodynamics
  • Solved Problems in Statistical Physics (both in Slovene, in collaboration with P. Ziherl)
  • Problems in Physics for Students of Mathematics (in Slovene, in collaboration with A. Šarlah)
  • Solved Problems in Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics (in English, in collaboration with P. Ziherl)


    Research interests

  • liquid-crystalline elastomers: thermo- and electromechanical actuation, light-driven actuation, stress-strain response, quenched disorder
  • confined liquid crystals: liquid crystal colloidal structures, topological defects, surface anchoring, external field-induced alignment
  • caloric effects in soft matter: elasto-, baro-, and electrocaloric response
  • molecular modeling in soft matter: Gay-Berne systems, Lebwohl-Lasher and related lattice systems, Monte Carlo simulations, prediction of experimental observables (D-NMR, X-rays, calorimetry...)

    Publications

    1. G. Skačej,
      Barocaloric effect in a Gay-Berne liquid crystal,
      Phys. Rev. E 109, L052701 (2024) [abstract].
    2. G. Skačej, L. Querciagrossa, and C. Zannoni,
      On the effects of different trans and cis populations in azobenzene liquid crystal elastomers: A Monte Carlo investigation,
      ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 5, 5805 (2023) [full text].
    3. D. Črešnar, N. Derets, M. Trček, G. Skačej, A. Rešetič, M. Lavrič, V. Domenici, B. Zalar, S. Kralj, Z. Kutnjak, and B. Rožič,
      Caloric effects in liquid crystal-based soft materials,
      J. Phys. Energy 5, 045004 (2023) [full text].
    4. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      The nematic-isotropic transition of the Lebwohl-Lasher model revisited,
      Philos. Trans. R. Soc. 379, 20200117 (2021) [abstract].
    5. C. Chiccoli, L. R. Evangelista, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, R. Teixeira de Souza, and C. Zannoni,
      Elastic constants and the formation of topological defects in hybrid nematic cells: A Monte Carlo study,
      Phys. Rev. E 102, 042702 (2020) [abstract].
    6. M. Lavrič, N. Derets, D. Črešnar, V. Cresta, V. Domenici, A. Rešetič, G. Skačej, M. Sluban, P. Umek, B. Zalar, Z. Kutnjak, and B. Rožič,
      Tunability of the elastocaloric response in main-chain liquid crystalline elastomers,
      Liquid Crystals 48, 405 (2020) [abstract] [e-print].
    7. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, C. Zannoni, G. Skačej, H. Yoshida, T. Hiroshima, K. Sunami, T. Ouchi, and M. Ozaki,
      From point to filament defects in hybrid nematic films,
      Sci. Rep. 9, 17941 (2019) [full text].
    8. C. Chiccoli, L. R. Evangelista, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, R. Teixeira de Souza, and C. Zannoni,
      Influence of boundary conditions on the order and defects of biaxial nematic droplets,
      Phys. Rev. E 100, 032702 (2019) [abstract].
    9. G. Skačej,
      Elastocaloric effect in liquid crystal elastomers from molecular simulations,
      Liquid Crystals 45, 1964 (2018) [abstract] [e-print].
    10. G. Skačej,
      Sample preparation affects the nematic-isotropic transition in liquid crystal elastomers: insights from molecular simulation,
      Soft Matter 14, 1408 (2018) [abstract].
    11. C. Chiccoli, L. R. Evangelista, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, R. Teixeira de Souza, and C. Zannoni,
      On the defect structure of biaxial nematic droplets,
      Sci. Rep. 8, 2130 (2018) [full text].
    12. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      Submicron object recognition in nematic liquid crystals,
      Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 649, 66 (2017) [abstract] [e-print].
    13. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      Molecular simulations shed light on supersoft elasticity in polydomain liquid crystal elastomers,
      Macromolecules 47, 8824 (2014) [abstract].
    14. R. Jose, G. Skačej, V. S. S. Sastry, and S. Žumer
      Colloidal nanoparticles trapped by liquid crystal defect lines: A lattice Monte Carlo simulation,
      Phys. Rev. E 90, 032503 (2014) [abstract].
    15. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, C. Zannoni, and S. Žumer
      Chirality transfer from helical nanostructures to nematics: a Monte Carlo study,
      Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 576, 151 (2013) [abstract] [e-print].
    16. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      Molecular simulations elucidate electric field actuation in swollen liquid crystal elastomers,
      Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 109, 10193 (2012) [abstract].
    17. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      Main-chain swollen liquid crystal elastomers: a molecular simulation study,
      Soft Matter 7, 9983 (2011) [abstract].
    18. M. A. Bates, G. Skačej, and C. Zannoni,
      Defects and ordering in nematic coatings on uniaxial and biaxial colloids,
      Soft Matter 6, 655 (2010) [abstract].
    19. X. Ma, G. P. Crawford, R. J. Crawford, I. Amimori, S. Žumer, G. Skačej, and S. G. Cloutier,
      Nuclear magnetic resonance of pretransitional ordering of liquid crystals in well defined nano-geometries: the utility of the Landau-de Gennes formalism,
      Liquid Crystals 36, 1229 (2009) [abstract].
    20. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      Controlling surface defect valence in colloids,
      Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 197802 (2008) [PDF].
    21. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      Biaxial liquid crystal elastomers: a lattice model,
      Eur. Phys. J. E 25, 181 (2008) [PDF].
    22. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      External field-induced switching in nematic elastomers: a Monte Carlo study,
      Eur. Phys. J. E 20, 289 (2006) [PDF].
    23. P. Pasini, G. Skačej, and C. Zannoni,
      A microscopic lattice model for liquid crystal elastomers,
      Chem. Phys. Lett. 413, 463 (2005) [PDF].
    24. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, and C. Zannoni,
      The effect of varying surface orientation on the molecular organization of nematic films. A Monte Carlo simulation,
      Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 429, 255 (2005).
    25. I. Amimori, J. N. Eakin, J. Qi, G. Skačej, S. Žumer, and G. P. Crawford,
      Surface-induced orientational order in stretched nanoscale-sized polymer dispersed liquid crystal droplets,
      Phys. Rev. E 71, 031702 (2005) [PDF].
    26. N. V. Priezjev, G. Skačej, R. A. Pelcovits, and S. Žumer,
      External and intrinsic anchoring in nematic liquid crystals: A Monte Carlo study,
      Phys. Rev. E 68, 041709 (2003) [PDF] [e-print].
    27. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, C. Zannoni, and S. Žumer,
      Nematics with dispersed polymer fibrils: a Monte Carlo study of the external field-induced switching,
      Phys. Rev. E 67, 010701(R) (2003) [PDF].
    28. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, C. Zannoni, and S. Žumer,
      Polymer network-induced ordering in a nematogenic liquid: a Monte Carlo study,
      Phys. Rev. E 65, 051703 (2002) [PDF].
    29. D. Andrienko, M. P. Allen, G. Skačej, and S. Žumer,
      Defect structures and torque on an elongated colloidal particle immersed in a liquid crystal host,
      Phys. Rev. E. 65, 041702 (2002) [e-print].
    30. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, C. Zannoni, and S. Žumer,
      Inhomogeneous translational diffusion in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals: Monte Carlo simulations of NMR spectra,
      Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 367, 199 (2001) [compressed PS] [PDF].
    31. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, C. Zannoni, and S. Žumer,
      Dynamical and field effects in polymer dispersed liquid crystals: Monte Carlo simulations of NMR spectra,
      Phys. Rev. E 62, 3766 (2000) [ compressed PS] [PDF].
    32. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, C. Zannoni, and S. Žumer,
      NMR spectra from Monte Carlo simulations of polymer dispersed liquid crystals,
      Phys. Rev. E 60, 4219 (1999) [compressed PS] [PDF].
    33. G. Barbero, G. Skačej, A. L. Alexe-Ionescu, and S. Žumer,
      Nematic ordering in a cell with modulated surface anchoring: effects of flexoelectricity,
      Phys. Rev. E 60, 628 (1999) [compressed PS] [PDF].
    34. G. Barbero, C. Ferrero, T. Guenzel, G. Skačej, and S. Žumer,
      Surface induced nematic ordering and the localization of a twisted distortion in a nematic cell,
      Phys. Rev. E 58, 8024 (1998) [compressed PS] [PDF].
    35. G. Skačej, A. L. Alexe-Ionescu, G. Barbero, and S. Žumer,
      Surface induced nematic order variation: intrinsic anchoring and subsurface director deformations,
      Phys. Rev. E 57, 1780 (1998) [compressed PS] [PDF].
    36. S. Žumer, A. Borštnik, G. Skačej, P. Ziherl, and G. P. Crawford,
      Microconfined liquid crystals: surface induced deformations, ordering and fluctuations,
      Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 304, 477 (1997).
    37. G. Skačej, V. M. Pergamenshchik, A. L. Alexe-Ionescu, G. Barbero, and S. Žumer,
      Subsurface deformations in nematics: the hexagonal lattice approach,
      Phys. Rev. E 56, 571 (1997) [compressed PS] [PDF].
    38. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      Molecular modeling of liquid crystal elastomers,
      in Unconventional liquid crystals and their applications, edited by W. Lee and S. Kumar, De Gruyter, Berlin (2021).
    39. G. Skačej and C. Zannoni,
      Computer simulations of liquid crystal polymeric networks and elastomers,
      in Cross-linked liquid crystalline systems, edited by D. J. Broer, G. P. Crawford, and S. Žumer, CRC Press, Boca Raton (2011).
    40. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, S. Žumer, and C. Zannoni,
      NMR line spectra from lattice spin models of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals,
      in Computer simulations of liquid crystals and polymers, edited by P. Pasini, S. Žumer, and C. Zannoni, Kluwer, Dordrecht (2005).
    41. C. Chiccoli, P. Pasini, G. Skačej, S. Žumer, and C. Zannoni,
      Nematics with dispersed polymer networks: lattice spin models,
      in Computer simulations of liquid crystals and polymers, edited by P. Pasini, S. Žumer, and C. Zannoni, Kluwer, Dordrecht (2005).

    More downloads

  • PhD thesis: Modeling of strongly confined liquid-crystalline systems (March 2002) [compressed PS] [PDF].
  • MSc thesis: Sidranje na površini nematskega tekočega kristala: model s heksagonalno mrežo (September 1999) [manuscript in Slovene (PS)] [PDF].



    Last update: Apr 5, 2025

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