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The effective interaction between spherical colloids in nematic liquid crystals is investigated in the framework of the Landau-de Gennes theory. The colloids differ in their surface interaction with the nematic liquid crystal. The particles induce quadrupolar far-field distortions in the nematic matrix, favouring homeotropic and the other degenerate planar anchoring of the nematic director. In the strong anchoring regime the colloids with homeotropic anchoring are accompanied by an equatorial disclination line defect, known as "Saturn-ring", while the colloids with degenerate planar anchoring nucleate a pair of antipodal surface defects, called "boojums". In the linear (large-distance)... 

A continuum theory is employed to numerically study the equilibrium orientation and defect structures of a circular cylindrical particle with flat ends under a homeotropic anchoring condition in a uniform nematic medium. Different aspect ratios of this colloidal geometry from thin discotic to long rodlike shapes and several colloidal length scales ranging from mesoscale to nanoscale are investigated. We show that the equilibrium state of this colloidal geometry is sensitive to the two geometrical parameters: aspect ratio and length scale of the particle. For a large enough mesoscopic particle, there is a specific asymptotic equilibrium angle associated to each aspect ratio. Upon reducing the...