  Cholesteric liquid crystals can exhibit spatial patterns in molecular
alignment at interfaces that can be exploited for particle assembly. These
patterns emerge from the competition between bulk and surface energies, tunable
with the system geometry. In this work, we use the osmotic swelling of
cholesteric double emulsions to assemble colloidal particles through a
pathway-dependent process. Particles can be repositioned from a
surface-mediated to an elasticity-mediated state through dynamically thinning
the cholesteric shell at a rate comparable to that of colloidal adsorption. By
tuning the balance between surface and bulk energies with the system geometry,
colloidal assemblies on the cholesteric interface can be molded by the
underlying elastic field to form linear aggregates. The transition of adsorbed
particles from surface regions with homeotropic anchoring to defect regions is
accompanied by a reduction in particle mobility. The arrested assemblies
subsequently map out and stabilize topological defects. These results
demonstrate the kinetic arrest of interfacial particles within definable
patterns by regulating the energetic frustration within cholesterics. This work
highlights the importance of kinetic pathways for particle assembly in liquid
crystals, of relevance to optical and energy applications.
